Hostile Intentions
by Xcom-anders
Summary: FKA Cold and Cruel: Leilong's Saga. As a pack of dangerous and vicious mercenaries sets their sights on the crew of the Outlaw Star, both parties find themselves in the center of a violent maelstrom. Familiar faces return, loyalties are questioned and friendships are tested as powerful forces threaten to snuff out the peace so many had fought so hard to earn. Now rated M.
1. First Impressions

_So recently, I've been coming down with some nostalgia over one of my favorite series growing up, and I feel like contributing a little to the tab. If it gets people interested, great, but I know things have slowed down quite a bit, so I'm not expecting too much. This is to the limitless potential of Outlaw Star, to getting cut short before you have to grow stale._

First impressions

Staying on the run wasn't supposed to be easy. Keeping a low profile came naturally in his line of work, but with a reputation such as his, all it took was the wrong time at the wrong place to uproot himself ahead of schedule and send him fleeing back into space. He often took jobs acting as security aboard freighters, having something of a knack for predicting pirate attacks and knowing how to undermine them. Still, his funding was a bit tight at the moment, and this new job was too tempting to pass up. The twenty percent he was given upfront was enough to pay for his expenses for the rest of the year; all he had to do was pass the "interview."

"You sure about this, boss?" the cabbie asked as they pulled up alongside an abandoned factory. "Place has a bad rep if the sight alone didn't tip ya off enough."

"I can take care of myself," the man said as he tipped the driver generously.

"No kidding. I gotta ask, you planning on starting some kind of war?" the cabbie joked as he counted off his bills.

"These days, I intend to finish them," the man winked as he stepped out of the cab and began untying his luggage from the roof.

"Need some help with that?" the cabbie asked as the man strained to put the load on his back.

"I got this. Thanks, friend, you can head out," the man said as he pounded the roof.

He chuckled as the floating vehicle hightailed out of the wasted district. He somewhat envied the friendly cabbie, who seemed to live a stable life with few complications from what he could gather. How was it that the death of Hazanko only made his life so much more complicated?

He thought back to the kid, Starwind, and his posse. Not the toughest he had ever fought, though to their credit Starwind had been wounded, Hawkins was just a boy, there had been something "off" about Twilight, and the Ctarl was, to put it bluntly, just reckless. Imagine his surprise when the rest of the Anten had been wiped out, along with the collapse of the 108 Suns. He had dodged a bullet leaving when he did, but that just opened him to reprisals from Hazanko's allies and rivals within the Guild itself as well as the military and bounty hunters. Sure, he was supposed to be dead, just enough people could work out that he may have survived, and enough of those would be interested in placing a good feather in their caps.

He was growing tired, feeling his age after every bloody skirmish. Men like him weren't meant to retire, but if this job was everything it was cracked up to be, he could have a shot at getting everything he needed to wipe his past and start anew somewhere else. All he had to do was enter that building and wait.

It wasn't as dusty as he was expecting. It was a quick matter of finding the breaker, it having enough juice to activate some lights and fans. He found himself at the center of the factory floor, dropping his pack at the center, climbing atop it, and fished out an apple to work over as he waited.

He didn't eat quickly, no point in rushing, but before too long he had worked himself down to the core. Disposing of it via a three-point shot into the darkened hallway, he was tempted to just tip his pack on its side and grab some shuteye. Sad as it may sound, the pack had been his home, more or less. Not the most convenient situation, but it beat leaving a paper trail, and he was more than accustomed to the outdoors.

He was about to find a place to relieve himself when the sound of a door unlatching above him rang through the empty factory floor.

"…believe that we have to go through this again, Eddie! Another one! Can you just do your freaking job correctly just once! Do I have to complain to Cade for you to rein it in, huh?!" A woman complained as she entered the factory via the third-floor catwalk. He watched as a short and shapely frame descended the ladder rungs to the factory floor, a large briefcase by her side as she navigated herself below.

"Is he in shock? Losing blood? Did you actually stop after you incapacitated him this time? I get really sick of cleaning up your messes, you bitch! You know if this guy gets lucky and knocked you on your ass, I promise you I won't stop laughing. It would serve you right you unprofessional, bloodthirsty psychopath! But you know what, who am I to care? I get paid either wa-" She came to an abrupt stop as she hit the ground floor and turned to see the factories lone occupant. She was young, olive-skinned with dark hair falling down her back, and wore an overcoat over a green blouse and slacks. She quickly looked around for anyone else.

"…Can I help you?" the man asked as the woman checked her watch.

"…Damn it," she muttered, glancing at her watch. "I'm early," she said as she picked up her bulky suitcase and began to ascend.

"Hey!" the man called out as she made it halfway up. It was enough for her to stop and look over her shoulder. "Are you the boss or something?" he asked.

"…No," she shook her head. "…I'm clean up." And with that, she double-timed up the ladder and bolted towards the doorway. Before she left, he shot one last look towards the man at the bottom. "…Good luck," she called out as she slammed the door behind her.

The man blinked in exasperation as the one person who could tell him what was going on left with her proverbial tail between her legs. He was tempted to just stop her but didn't want to risk getting himself ambushed when this "Eddie" showed up. It turned out to be a wise choice.

A skylight blew out above him, raining down shards of glass below. The man maneuvered behind his pack, tilting it over him to stop most of the glass from reaching him. When it cleared, he looked up to see someone repelling down to join him on the floor. The new guest wore a black beanie, strands of shock blonde hair breaching under it every now and then. They also wore a bullet-proof vest like an undershirt beneath a biker jacket and above military-style dark khakis and steel-toed boots. Two machine pistols hung cavalry style from her belt, and two rods hung from her back. The new guest smiled a gap-toothed grin. "You Leilong?" the guest asked.

"Who's asking?" he said as he peeked from behind his cover, hand resting on his saber.

"Hi, I'm Eddie!" she waved. "Did Mr. Howard tell you what's going to happen?"

"No, he didn't give me much else to go off other than a time and place," Leilong shook his head.

"Aww, he didn't? Well, don't worry about that! You see, what he wanted was-" and with that, she drew both her machine pistols and began peppering the pack with lead rounds. Leilong activated the light-shield around his wrist, the rounds bouncing off of his aura as he closed the gap with his opponent. Eddie ditched her guns and brought both rods in front of her, sparking both of them to life as she intercepted Leilong's swings.

She parried his blows as she was steadily driven back, Leilong's years of experience coming to the forefront. After she had enough, she locked Leilong's sword between her electric rods, stalemating the fight for the moment. She locked eyes with him as she dug her feet in. "…Wanna screw before I kill you?" she asked.

For the briefest moment, the audacity of the question stunned Leilong. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had been this cheeky in a fight. It was enough for Eddie to rear her head back and slam it against Leilong's. The separation was just enough for her to angle one of her stun-rods against Leilong's light shield, discharging the entire weapon into the mechanism, forcing it to short circuit. Throwing the spent rod to the side, she dug the other into his side, causing daggers of pain to shoot through his entire nervous system. Leilong forgone any notion of skill or honor, settling on slugging Eddie across the mouth as his saber cut across her vest. The material caught most of the blade, barring the thin trickle of blood at the tip of his sword. The sight of it, however, caused Eddie to drop her playful demeanor.

She chucked her last stun-rod straight towards Leilong's head. He deflected it with ease. On her part, she pulled out two combat knives, twirling them through her fingers. Eddie went on the offensive, this time forcing Leilong to parry the younger woman blow for blow. Soon enough, she started to strike a little too close for comfort, the sleeves and hem of his travel robe beginning to fray from the close calls. He pressed the switch just hidden under his left sleeve, pulling the holdout revolver to his palm. He emptied it right into Eddie's center, the blasts forcing her back until he finally landed a second blow perpendicular to his previous. After that, a shot rang out, and he felt his hand go numb as his saber slipped from his fingers.

As Leilong grabbed his wounded hand, he looked up to see another figure descending from the rope. This one wore a tattered grey open brim hat, jeans, and a light brown long coat. A rifle was slung over his shoulder and a steel hatchet from his waist. As he reached the bottom, he brought out the hatchet. Leilong then realized that his face was covered in a face wrap, with only a pair of cold, dead eyes staring back at him.

Leilong grimaced as he forced his wounded hand through some ambulatory exercises. Nothing permanent, most likely a rubber round. Eddie had already pushed him more than he wanted to go, and this new guy didn't carry himself like an amateur. He was about to reach for the saber and end this fight, one way or the other when a shrill whistle erupted throughout the factory. The stranger immediately holstered his hatchet and went to check on Eddie. The woman from earlier reentered the factory, taking a moment to stare in disbelief at Leilong before scaling back down the ladder. Finally, a familiar face began to applaud.

Leilong looked above the catwalk to see a rough-looking middle-aged man clapping, a grin on his face. Leilong glared at him as the man picked himself from the walkway, following the woman as they reached the factory floor after the other. Shaved head, long nose, and a blue "x" tattoo on his skull. The same bastard who hired him for this mission.

"What's the deal, Saiyo?" Leilong growled as the woman started to berate and mock Eddie. "You trying to set me up?"

"Look, before you get dramatic, don't blame me. I'm just the middle-man who recommended you for the job," the ex-convict shrugged.

"Getting jumped in a sketchy part of town isn't what I'd consider gainful employment," Leilong spat, irritated.

"Well, consider it something of an audition," Saiyo tried to placate. "These two were hired directly by Mr. Howard, but he wasn't entirely confident in their… dispositions."

"Quit being an idiot, Eddie!" the woman seethed as she tried to wrestle with the squirming patient. "I just need to see how deep your stupid wounds are!"

"Bullshit!" Eddie whined. "You just want to see me naked! I see how you look at me! You first!" she mocked.

"Yeah, in your dreams," the woman snarled. "Like I'd ever settle for a repulsive gremlin like you in the first place. Do you want a painkiller or not?"

"Pain and killing sound great! Let me have another go at him, Cade! I had him right before you got involved and ruined everyth-"

The man cracked his rifle stock against Eddie's head, pinning it to the ground. The man glared daggers at his captive. Eddie looked up at her partner. "…Sorry, Cade," she whispered as she began undoing her vest without complaint.

"…Let's just say Mr. Howard wanted an experienced hand overseeing the actual job. I convinced him that it had to be someone who could keep up with those two. Nice to say we finally found the right man for the job," Saiyo grinned.

"I gathered I wasn't your first choice," Leilong assessed.

"It takes a particular person who can both survive against Eddie and remain… tolerable to Cade. Make no mistake, Leilong, if they weren't two of the best freelancers this side of the Carnival; Mr. Howard wouldn't have bothered recruiting them."

"These two are from the Carnival?" Leilong said. "They're Callaway's guys?"

"He recommended them. Either they're that damn good or he doesn't want to deal with them anymore. I feel generous, so I guess I'll lean towards the former."

"So what does that make me, a team leader or a babysitter?"

"Whatever Mr. Howard requires of you," Saiyo replied as he led Leilong away from the others. "Just like he requires me to be your handlers."

"Wait!" the woman spoke up as she approached Leilong. "Any wounds I can help you with?"

"I'm fine," Leilong lied, his ribcage still feeling scorched though. "Nothing apocalyptic, at least," he relented. "Maybe a few painkillers wouldn't hurt," he admitted.

"OK, but I'm going to check up on you first thing in the morning," she said as she handed over a capsule.

"Thank you, Mara," Saiyo replied. "Your patient is getting away."

"I know," Mara replied. "First thing tomorrow, remember?" she pointed towards Leilong. He nodded his head, smiling as he raised his hands. "Sure thing, doc."

Mara blushed at the sentence. "…Thanks for that," she muttered. "EDDIE! SIT! YOUR ASS! DOWN!" she screamed as she turned back to her patient.

The two men left the cacophony behind them, stepping out into the night sky to see an awaiting limo.

"We have you set up in a hotel downtown. Don't worry, it'll be under a fake name. Mr. Howard has done this before," Saiyo explained as he opened the door for Leilong.

"I was wondering what he was doing hiring an ex-con," Leilong replied as Saiyo joined him inside.

"You've done your homework," Saiyo replied, impressed.

"When someone breaks out of the inescapable prison of Gehenna, that affords you a certain notoriety in certain circles. Speaking of, how is your cellmate doing?"

Saiyo averted his eyes. Leilong picked up on it. "…I mean, it's the only thing we have in common, Starwind. Not much else a Battlegroup merc and a Kei pirate can have before trying to kill each other."

"…Look, Leilong. I didn't just seek you out because the guys back there need a chaperone. This job, it… might run across some familiar faces. And I'm kind of dreading that."

Saiyo turned to look Leilong in the eyes, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You see, the real reason I hired you, and Mr. Howard MUST NOT know why, is because I want you to prevent those two from killing Gene Starwind."


	2. Leverage

_According to an old spacer's proverb: "There exist two ends for all dreams, their failure to manifest, or their fruition. Both are to be equally feared." Jacob Callaway exemplifies the second fear. An outlaw born and raised on the frontier, his ambitions led him into conflict with the Ban Pirate Guild. After a series of successful raids and attacks against the pirates, Jacob's modest crew became a gang, and after that a nomadic outlaw army, leading attacks against both pirate hideouts and space force garrisons, declaring that the "Frontier belonged to the Outlaw, where we make our fates as we shall see fit." He proved successful, forcing the Ban to cede territory to his cause. Twenty years later, his army has long disbanded, inter-factional rivalries and petty squabbles shattering his coalition. Only the Carnival, located somewhere in the Ban Gap, offers a haven and guild for any freelancers looking for work or safety. Jacob Callaway now spends his days trying to keep the tenuous peace of his work from collapsing in on itself, waiting for the opportunity to unite the free peoples of the stars under one banner and liberate the frontier from all those who seek to subjugate it to their own ends._

Chapter 2: Leverage

Leilong had always been an early riser. His work with the Kei had taught him the value of sleeping light and staying aware. Not many people realized this, but the number one killer of pirates was other pirates. He knew that from personal experience, having worked as Hazanko's executioner within the guild itself. The pay had been good, and the benefits were fair for what they were, but he had grown weary of chafing under a sadistic warlord. He saw an opportunity to escape and took it. All it cost him was his apprentice Kubo, a Hazanko loyalist who he had been tasked with training.

He finished giving himself a trim, dealing with the last few nascent facial hairs outside his mustache. Satisfied with the result, he left the bathroom, grabbing the remote and raising the volume before laying back on the bed.

"…has been forced to admit that its frontier garrisons have been severely understaffed as of late, unable to counter the recent upheavals that have followed in the wake of a major pirate guild leader's disposal. Various planetary leaders have extended contracts to private security firms to bolster their defenses, the largest of which have thus far been the Strum Korps of the Einhorn Empire, a move that should promise vast political repercussions within the Tempa Empire in the coming months. In other news…"

He lowered the volume as he heard a knock on the door. Lifting himself up, he strolled over and looked through the peephole. The female medic from earlier was waiting outside, her suitcase in both hands as she looked around. Leilong opened the door, the woman ushering herself in. "Good morning," Mara began as she set her case on the table. "How have you been feeling?"

"No major wounds or breaks," Leilong replied.

"I still have to check," Mara responded as she unlatched her suitcase, revealing a medical arsenal that could put most pirate med-bays to shame. "First, show me where Eddie tagged you."

Leilong lifted his shirt, the electrical surge he suffered still somewhat fresh on his skin. He wasn't so much debilitated by the pain, but when Mara took out a small blue rag and began wiping the wound, the relief flooded through his body. Leilong couldn't help but sigh in contentment. As he looked down at his medic, he noticed that the top few buttons on her blouse were undone.

"Eddie, you are such a piece of work," Mara muttered as she took out a small syringe, shooting something into the scar to reduce the swelling by the end of the day.

"What the hell is with her, anyway?" Leilong asked as he pulled his shirt back down.

"How long do you got?" Mara said, looking up at him. "It'll take all day."

"Give me the brief version. I'd appreciate it if I know who and what I was dealing with," Leilong replied.

Mara smiled. "Edwina Skorzeny. Violent, impulsive, temperamental, and obnoxious. Also a flat out master of close-quarters combat. She knows fighting techniques I've never even heard of. Just for some context, we first met about four months ago, and since then she's instigated, and won about a dozen or so bar fights."

"She seems like a liability," Leilong scoffed. "However talented she is, she's reckless."

"You'll get no argument from me, trust me," Mara admitted. "But Cade refuses to work without her. Speaking of, can I see that hand?"

Leilong extended his bruised hand, the black and blue mark already beginning to get its natural color back. Mara looked it over. "…Wow, he likes you," she muttered, impressed.

"I can tell," Leilong replied, sarcastically.

"Hey, I've seen that man's options first hand. The last guy he shot took an incendiary round in his thigh," Mara explained as she took out a small spray capsule, applying a small spritz that further numbed what little pain remained.

"What's his deal?" Leilong asked.

Mara stopped what she was doing, looking up at him. "…Two words of advice about that guy, from my experience. If you want to know about him, ask him yourself. And don't pry into his past unless you want to disappear."

"Ah, a spook," Leilong replied, neither impressed nor perturbed. "I've seen his type often."

"Maybe not," Mara responded. "In my experience, most of these mysterious loners are just posers trying to get clout for their own self-gratification. Cade, though, gets genuinely angry when you ask about his past. That guy I mentioned, burning thigh? Cade gave him one warning when the guy kept asking him personal questions."

"Noted. So skip the small talk around him," Leilong said to himself.

"Small talk and gossip," Mara added. "I guess it's one of the reasons he actually gets along so well with Edwina. She doesn't ask about him, and he finds her reliable enough to trust."

"So, that explains those two, I guess. Now, what about you?" Leilong asked as she finished up her tasks. She took to disposing of the needles and began to seal up her suitcase.

"I'm just a back-alley doctor tired of making back-alley money," Mara said as she clicked the electronic locks shut.

"Then how come you aren't taking part in a more legitimate enterprise? I mean there's only so much older killers like me can do, but someone like you should have options?" Leilong thought aloud.

Mara turned to look at him. She smiled, though it didn't reach her sad eyes. "…Had."

"I'm sorry, guess it's not my place to pry," Leilong said as he looked away.

"…Morgan," Mara said as she lifted her suitcase from the table. "My full name is Mara Morgan."

"Well, I sincerely thank you for your care, Mara Morgan. Don't take it the wrong way, but I hope I won't need you again," Leilong grinned.

Mara grinned in kind. "Don't worry, I don't. I look forward to working with you, Leilong." She went for the door. Before touching the handle, she stopped and peered over her shoulder. "…By the way, I have to ask. Does the name Shimi mean anything to you?"

Leilong hesitated. "…May I ask why you wish to know?"

"Because Cade says you match the description of one of those 108 Suns big shots."

"…I thought Cade figured gossip was beneath him," Leilong sniffed, growing irritated.

"…I'm sorry. I guess Cade just thought it was important," Mara responded. "In any event, just make sure Eddie doesn't figure it out. She loves beating the piss out of pirates. And Space Force flunkies. And gangsters. And salesmen. And missionaries. And…"

"I think I get it," Leilong added

"Well, I guess that's that," Mara smiled. "The meeting is at 1100 at the Presidential Suite. See you then," she said as she shut the door.

Leilong rested his head against the backboard. These two he was working with, Saiyo explained that they had both come from the Carnival, an outlaw guild of some of the most effective and dangerous freelancers in the galaxy. While many locations fancied themselves free states, only the Carnival worked exclusively with and for outlaws, its members regularly squaring off with Space Forces and pirates alike. He wasn't going to underestimate these two.

Which led him to his conundrum. Saiyo also mentioned the possibility of these two gunning for Gene Starwind. Leilong wasn't going to pretend to have any affection for the kid or his crew, and would never expect any significant amount in kind from them, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for them. After practically singlehandedly bringing an end to the 108 Suns, it seemed like Gene would find himself now and forever in the crosshairs of larger and stronger powers. A weaker, less prideful man would have just cut his losses and sold the ship and girl, but that was never in the kid's nature.

Leilong sighed. He wasn't in the market of taking bullets for others. His last meeting with Starwind essentially cursed him with altruism. The frontier wasn't a forgiving location, and in his experience betrayal was likelier than gratitude. Once he got his money, Starwind may as well be on his own.

Not that he would be. Starwind, where he lacked experience, made up for it in his ability to inspire loyalty. He had loyal friends surrounding him, whereas Leilong's associates had lost their lives, and apart from Hanmyo and maybe Tobigera was unlikely to miss any of them. Just as well he not find himself attached to anyone.

* * *

Mara had just about turned the corner when she saw Eddie traipsing around the hallway, stogie on her lips as she was in the middle of trying to accost a young housekeeper.

"Ma'am, I'm flattered, but I really-"

"Sh-sh-sh-shhh!" Eddie planted a finger on her lips. "I see the way you looked at me. You look like the kind of girl that wants it dirty, eh?"

"I mean, cleaning is my job and all-"

"That's what I like to hear!" Eddie said, lighting up.

"I just wanted to let you know was that this is a non-smoking establishment!" the housekeeper finally got out.

Eddie looked at her. "Oh, come on. I'm your friend, aren't I?" she attempted to say innocently.

"I don't even know you!" the housekeeper blurted out.

"Come back to my place and give me fifteen minutes. We can amend that," Eddie continued to proposition.

"Eddie!" Mara snapped. "Leave the staff alone!"

Eddie raised her hands, surrendering and allowing the housekeeper to finally duck inside an unoccupied room. Annoyed, Eddie shot a dirty look at Mara. "I just wanted to introduce myself," she pouted.

"Well, you can do that without dragging her by the hair back to your hotel room," Mara snapped.

"Oh, that was just the one time. I said I was sorry!" Eddie pleaded.

"Yeah, you sure were after Cade found out," Mara growled.

Eddie winced. "Well, if someone didn't have to be a Little Miss Narc I could have just… hello," Eddie trailed off as she noticed Mara's unbuttoned blouse.

Mara crossed her hands over her chest. "Freaking pervert."

"Me?" Eddie pointed to herself. "I'm not the one putting my goods on display to the new guy." She sniffed the air. "That being said, I guess this one didn't take you up on your offer this time."

Mara blushed as she looked away. Eddie giggled. "Oh, Cade and me knew about that. I don't know what you saw in that chatterbox, but it was all the more satisfying for me to see Cade burn out his leg from the inside thanks to that. Face it, princess. You ain't ever going to find your dashing Prince Charming to take you away from this business. Even if this one only happens to be, what, twenty years older than you?"

Mara's eyes clenched tight as Eddie draped her arm across her shoulder. "But don't worry, you still have Cade as your bestie. And me, you know my door is always open for you, doc!" Eddie grinned.

"…Go to Hell, Eddie," Mara gritted.

"One day, Mara, one of these days," Eddie said as she ruffled Mara's hair. "Best be seeing you in a little bit!" Eddie chirped as she pushed Mara away. Mara pushed back, belting Eddie in the ribs with her suitcase, and stormed to her room as Eddie laughed behind her.

After the door slammed, Eddie's smile faded. Once again, she was alone. She genuinely enjoyed antagonizing the princess, but she was under strict orders to limit interacting with her lest she irrevocably mess up the plan. She could hit up the new guy, see whatever he was down for, yet Cade also made similar orders. To put things bluntly, Cade trusted Eddie with his life, but not theirs.

For a brief moment, she pondered knocking on Cade's door, hoping for some kind of task she could do to occupy her time if only to curb her impulses and behavior, give her unquiet mind something to work over. No, the last thing she needed was for Cade to consider her a liability. If she couldn't be useful, she just had to wait a few hours and try to be patient. At this point, she was willing to try anything that wasn't unmedicated sleep.

* * *

Cade stared at the monitor in front of him, looking through the snippets of articles and reports Wire Weasel had supplied him with. As he looked through them, the sequence of events began to formulate within his mind. He looked through the names of the players. "Hot Ice" Hilda. Gwen Khan. Fred Luo. Ron MacDougal. The Tendo King. And at the center of it all…

"Well, this is the best I could do, uh, on such short notice," the voice over the line interjected. "If you wanted anything else, I would have to…"

"It's adequate," Cade replied as he closed the hacked Angel Links report. "I have a solid timeline. I know what he can do."

"Hey, uh, Cade. You planning on hunting this guy?" Wire Weasel asked.

"…I don't know," Cade admitted. "All I do know is that the most powerful branch of the Kei Pirates vanished overnight, Ron MacDougal is off the grid, and somehow this guy comes out no worse for wear. If I do go after this guy, I won't give him the chance to know I'm coming."

"So what's the attack plan," Wire Weasel asked.

Cade thought. "…Eddie goes after Twilight, I engage the Ctarl, and Shimi finishes off Starwind this time."

"Just your luck you wind up working with the best assassin in the Chinese Guild. I was cycling through some bounty boards earlier and well…" Wire Weasel whistled. "You ever get around to thinking about retiring early, you could always start a bidding war over his head."

"Not my style. As long as he's solid, I'm solid," Cade dismissed as he sipped his black coffee. He bristled at the taste, applying generous amounts of cream to it. "I don't understand how Eddie enjoys this stuff," he muttered.

"And I don't understand how you enjoy working with that psychotic," Wire Weasel overheard.

"Who said anything about enjoyment? It's trust, Dubs. Always has been, always should be."

"Speaking of trust, are you going to get me those photos I asked for?" Wire Weasel asked, sweetly.

"You want to see so bad, talk to her yourself. I'm not your middleman," Cade snorted.

"Oh, of course. Well, talk to you soon," WW said as he hung up. Cade leaned back as he went over the photographs. Mug shots taken at the Angel Links base as well as the Sentinel 3 spaceport. Pictures from the Heifong Space Race and Universal Strongman Tournament. Surveillance photos via Kei Pirate spies. Whether he realized it or not, the rising star had left quite the footprint, and Cade was a hunter, first and foremost.

* * *

Above the planet of Inesbruch, a large ship exited out of ether space. The ship was sharp and angular, deliberately designed with function in mind over form. It bristled with point defense emplacements, accompanied by the massive rail-cannon placed on the bow of the ship. Following closely were several torpedo-shaped grappler ships escorting the great naval leviathan that dwarfed them all. Any civilian ships in the area immediately gave the heavy assault cruiser a wide berth.

"Commander, entering Inesbruch orbit within the half-hour," one of the bridge staff announced. Commander Ruebryn gazed impassively at the display monitors surrounding his station. They had a contract with the planetary government that allowed them "first strike privileges" regarding terrorist activities. It would be an adequate cover for the operation.

"Sergeant, are your troops prepared for landing?" he asked over the intercom.

"The platoon is awaiting your orders to disembark, commander," the sergeant replied.

"Remember, your mission is to verify and capture all requested High-Value Targets. All lethal measures are restricted. Pacification procedures authorized. Free engagement prohibited. Combat pursuit countermeasures granted."

From the underside of the SKS Janissary, four planetary dropships disengaged from the cruiser, gradually picking up speed as they descended towards the planet.


	3. Connectivity

_Eccentric, baffling, compelling, naïve. Just a few of the words used to describe one Phillip L. Howard. A man of considerable means and privilege, Mr. Howard was born the heir to a powerful shipping conglomerate based out of the Einhorn Empire. A student of history dating back to a young age, Mr. Howard became something of a patron towards expeditions in all things archeological and anthropological, establishing new trade routes with Corbono and Silgri in his quest to learn of long-dead civilizations. A wealthy and connected financial backer for the skilled and desperate, some have accused Mr. Howard of maintaining connections to illicit and dangerous organizations, accusations that he has fervently denied and have yet to sustain verifiability. _

Chapter 3: Connectivity

Leilong had just about entered the elevator when Mara suddenly rounded the corner, rushing to catch him before the doors closed. Leilong pushed his foot out to interrupt the closing, allowing a grateful Mara to get inside and catch her breath. "Thanks," Mara breathed as she immediately slammed her fist against the shut button. Leilong looked up to see an agitated Eddie storming down the hallway, energized baton in her mouth as she dove against the sealed doors.

"…Can I ask just what happened?" Leilong asked as Mara let out a laugh.

"I went to Eddie's room to wake her up in time for the meeting. As expected, she was… medicating," Mara sniffed in disgust.

"I see," Leilong nodded.

"So I flushed her stash down the toilet," Mara continued.

"Now that explains the rest," Leilong sighed. "I take it this is just another incident between the two of you?"

"Have you ever had to work with someone you couldn't stand?" Mara asked.

"All the time," Leilong admitted.

"And how many of them tried to sell naked photos of you in the shower for booze money?" Mara asked.

Leilong thought back to an incident with Hamushi. Tobigera hadn't been able to sit for a week after the fact. Then Iraga found out, demanded to know why he hadn't attempted with her, and he spent another two weeks in traction. "Sounds like she needs discipline," Leilong responded.

"The only one she'd listen to is Cade, and it's an ordeal trying to get a conversation out of that guy," Mara explained. "_Your problem, you solve it. _Those two deserve each other."

Leilong then motioned to the third guest in the elevator. Cade stood with his back to the corner, having not drawn attention to himself since Leilong had entered. "Oh… uh… hi, Cade… I hadn't seen you since…" Mara stuttered as Cade went to open the door.

A fuming Eddie was waiting outside, baton still gripped in her teeth. As she stormed inside, Cade grabbed her by the jacket and threw her against the opposite side of the wall. Eddie tried to protest, but Cade immediately pinned her against the back wall. "Separate," Cade hissed. Eddie, still glaring at Mara, relented. Leilong let out a sigh as he finally closed the door and set the elevator for the suite at the top floor.

The presidential suite at the top of the hotel occupied the entire top floor, at the end of a very long hallway. Its palatial aesthetic was at odds with the brutish Saurian standing guard outside the doorway. The beast was tall and somewhat doughy, his fingers drumming along the barrel of a contraption that looked like a cross between a halberd and a blunderbuss. He sneered down the four from his scarred lip. Mara was the first to approach the genetic lizard. "Is Mr. Howard ready to see us, Johnny?"

The lizard blinked one eye, then the other. He slammed his fist against the doorway, the reverb echoing through the hallway.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing a very geriatric looking Silgrian peaking from the doorway. "Thank you, Mr. Anslou. Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Howard and Mr. Wong are ready to meet with all of you," the avian said in a clipped, nebbish tone.

The four entered to see a large penthouse with a massive glass window looking out onto the city of Oktoberal. Before them, Saiyo was setting up a levitating monitor, beckoning them all to sit on the L-shaped couch before them. Looking away from them, staring out at the city, was a slight and skinny man Leilong had never seen before. He seemed young, mid-thirties at the worst, well-dressed, yet carried an elaborately ornate walking cane at his side. The four were ushered down to the couch, Leilong and Cade sitting between the women.

As they settled, the thin man wheeled towards them. He had slick, greasy hair, a pallid skin tone, a long face, and wore thick sunglasses. He leaned on his cane as he stared at the four he had hired. "…Mr. Leilong, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," he greeted, softly.

"A pleasure to cash that check. I needed that money," Leilong joked. Mr. Howard didn't laugh.

"Are the accommodations to your liking, Ms. Morgan?" Mr. Howard asked.

"Nicest place I've slept in for months," Mara admitted. Eddie giggled. "Yeah, alone," she muttered under her breath.

"Is there something you'd like to share with us, Ms. Skorzeny?" Mr. Howard asked.

"Only that I am very grateful for your generosity and hospitality," Eddie replied with a practiced insincere sweetness.

"If you would prefer, I'm sure the city can provide enough rat-infested hovels if that is better to your liking," Mr. Howard suggested without an ounce of humor.

"It would probably be more entertaining than this sterile waste of space. Better company, at least," she snorted.

"…Mr. … Black, was it?" Mr. Howard shifted his attention to Cade, giving up on the futility of engaging Eddie. "I take it you have been in contact with Mr. Huckebein?"

"I have," Cade answered.

"And how has he been?" Mr. Howard asked.

"Still alive."

"My condolences," Mr. Howard bowed his head as Saiyo readied the screen.

"Well, now that pleasantries have been completed, we may begin with the mission at hand," Mr. Howard clasped his hands as the screen sparked to life. The opening images showcased various blueprints and schematics, but for Leilong it was little more than old news. He had already seen the ship before. Once alongside Hazanko as they oversaw the construction. Another time from a distance as he scouted out Starwind and Hawking Enterprises. He looked towards Saiyo, who didn't meet his glance except for the briefest of moments.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you all to the XGP 15A-2," Mr. Howard announced as he brought up his cane to emphasize and highlight certain designs and features. "A marvel of engineering made only possible by the joint efforts of the Tempa Space Forces and the Kei Pirate Guild," Mr. Howard explained. "…With generous funding from various third party sponsors."

Leilong felt a pit develop in his stomach. Mr. Howard was implying outright some level of involvement with the Leyline Project. If he knew anything about what that entailed, that would give him access to knowledge not found outside certain echelons of both military and pirate hierarchies. Just who was this guy?

Mr. Howard grinned. "Tell me, how many of you are familiar with Pre-Ethereal studies?"

Leilong shook his head, the word not ringing any bells. Mara shrugged. Eddie leaned her head back, mouth open as she pretended to snore. Cade sat still, eyes glued ahead.

"It's quite understandable, most people aren't even aware of the term, let alone the existence of a space-faring civilization that predates humanity's rise to the stars. It's a rather fascinating study, these Pre-Ethereals. Did you know that what we refer to as Ether has proven to be, not only a recent phenomenon, but also an artificial one?

Leilong cocked his brow. Ether was the primary matter that made up most of space. It was what enabled ships to treat spaceflight like sailing, relying on currents to plot and chart FTL travel. Without Ether, there would only be an empty void remaining, and the energy needs for travel would be immense, far more than they already were.

"What we understand to be Ether is, according to certain theories that I, of course, subscribe to… is in fact the creation, and the greatest gift of a civilization that has been dubbed, quite blandly but effectively in my opinion, as the Pre-Ethereal Empire. Before their…untimely vanishing, they developed the means by which interstellar travel can become not only feasible but also efficient. What would have otherwise taken centuries to establish contact with other alien races," he nodded towards the elderly Silgrian, "only took years once we left our solar systems," he explained.

"Naturally, when I discovered this, I devoured anything I could learn about the Pre-Ethereals. I funded expeditions and excavations, becoming something of a collector of rare artifacts in the process. That was when I was approached by this man."

Leilong pushed out the déjà vu as he saw the familiar face on the screen. Same small man, bowl cut, bifocals, white suit, the whole package. And who else but Mr. Howard was standing beside him, grinning at what appeared to be a cocktail party.

"Professor Gwen Khan, the preeminent authority when it came to the implementation of this lost technology into modern spacecraft and other such objects," Mr. Howard explained. "After a long session of convincing, and perhaps a few poor hands at poker, I was convinced to part with some of my collection for him to implement into a most ambitious project I'd ever heard of. A quest to find the ultimate monument to the Pre-Ethereal Civilization, the Galactic Leyline."

Eddie finally stopped pretending to snore, lifting her head up. "That fairy tale?" she sneered.

Mr. Howard stared towards the woman. "If you've seen the things I have seen, you'd know better than to dismiss this as a fairy tale. Isn't that right, Mr. Black?"

Cade stared at Eddie. "…It's real."

"And how do you know?" Eddie asked.

"…How do you think Solomon got the way he is?" Cade asked.

Eddie dropped her smile. "…I figured he came across some really potent Tao magic."

"Close," Cade admitted. "He says he found a piece of something at someplace called "Grave of the Dragon." He says it made him what he is now."

Eddie shuddered. Leilong looked over to Mara, who was biting her lip. This was a question he was going to have to save for later.

"In any event," Mr. Howard continued. "The proposed expedition hit some… difficulties," he admitted, and Leilong couldn't help but feel Mr. Howard's eyes fall on him, as if sharing a knowing look that only he could pick up. Leilong knew how the story went from here. Mr. Howard explained, in broad strokes, the events that transpired from Hot Ice Hilda's highjacking, culminating a climactic event involving the newly dubbed Outlaw Star, the infamous McDougal Brothers, the full might of the 108 Stars guild, and a Ctarl-Ctarl expeditionary flagship. All they knew about the incident was that only the Outlaw Star and Orta-HoneHone were known to have escaped the fracas alive.

"Which brings us to our involvement," Mr. Howard grinned. "With the expedition, for all intents and purposes completed, I believe now has come the time to… requisition my contributions to the Leyline Project."

"You hired us for a repo job?" Eddie sneered.

"That's a rather… blunt assessment, but accurate considering the circumstances," Mr. Howard admitted.

"Why not just hire some ship-jackers? They're a dime a dozen on the frontier, and they'll work for damn near free," Eddie snorted.

"That may be the case, but most… hijackers are rather low on the food chain, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Howard suggested. "Certainly not on the level of Lord Hazanko. It isn't acquiring the ship that concerns me, it's navigating around the crew."

For the briefest of moments, Saiyo shot a look at Leilong before bringing up the photograph of the Outlaw Star's crew.

"We're talking about a group that wiped out the Anten Seven nearly to the man," Mr. Howard explained.

"Wait, they're all dead?" Eddie spoke up. "Damnit! Those were some liquid bounties!" she complained sullenly. Cade patted her on the shoulder.

"Dealing with the crew will be a tall order for anyone, hence my hiring of you two," Mr. Howard explained. "You've both acquitted yourselves commendably on previous assignments."

Cade nodded his head while Eddie beamed. Saiyo began cycling through some images of the twosome's previous assignments. They had been launching attacks against remnants of the 108 Stars, conducting assassinations at the behest of this Mr. Howard. As Leilong looked though the verified corpses, he recognized a few of them.

"You two have more than proven yourselves in crippling the remnants of Hazanko's organization. With the Strum Korps about to finish the remnants, we can effectively dismiss any possibility of reprisals or interference from the pirates," Mr. Howard explained.

"But you're saying that these guys might be more dangerous than the pirates?" Mara brought up.

"…I'd call them less of an… equivalent threat and more… a collection of singularities," Mr. Howard tried to explain. "When confronted with obstacles, they've a talent for managing to overcome them, despite all probability dictating failure. That being said, that isn't to say that I believe this mission to be insurmountable. I know for a fact that they can be beaten. Isn't that right, Shimi?"

Leilong caught his breath in his throat. Mara just glanced at him, her suspicions having been confirmed. Eddie peered over to him, dragging her thumb across her throat as she smiled manically. Cade sat immovable, his face-wrap hiding his shit-eating grin flawlessly.

"…So that's what my past is to you?" Leilong growled. "Just another aspect you want on the resume?"

"I want the job done correctly. Next to you, no one has come closer to halting Gene Starwind. With you on our team, I can guarantee the mission will be successful. That being said, your placement in this mission is not only in a supervisory role. Should it be determined that you might… have another change of heart, let it be known that I've authorized Mr. Black and Ms. Skorzeny to… terminate you with extreme prejudice," Mr. Howard explained.

Leilong stared at the man, amazed by his sheer cheek. This man had sought him out when all he wanted to do was hide, baited him into returning to a lifestyle he wanted nothing more to do with and expected him to brutalize people he wanted nothing but peace for at the expense of his own head.

"…They don't deserve to die," Leilong hissed.

"Then don't kill them," Mr. Howard said, bluntly. "Get back what is mine, and all debts will be settled."

* * *

The dropships closed in on the mansion. As they did, security turrets activated and began blasting the ships as they came to land. Adequately shielded, the craft powered through as they dispatched a platoon of assault troopers to the main gate. Blasting the lock open, the troopers filed in, their expert suppressive fire clearing out the turrets one by one.

The troopers wore bulky armor, enhancing their frames against the moonlight sky as the red lights of their goggles cut through the darkness. The point trooper kicked the front door in, briskly clearing the room from behind his boxy assault rifle. Others filed in from other points of ingress, snaking in and around the mansion.

* * *

The Silgrian approached Mr. Howard, showing him something on a datapad. Mr. Howard merely sighed. "…I'm afraid we'll have to check out a little early. It would be efficient for all in our group to reconvene at my personal craft. Mr. Chauncey and Mr. Wong can fill you in on the details. If you will excuse me, there is another manner I have to attend to. Ladies and gentlemen, I shall bid you all adieu," he said as he bowed. The Silgrian named Chauncey ushered them out of the doorway, leaving only Wong and Howard in the penthouse.

"…Looks like they've breached my mansion defenses," Mr. Howard sniffed. "Is it ready?" he asked.

"Your yacht was refueled right before last night," Saiyo explained.

"Not what I meant," Mr. Howard stated, dryly.

"…I know," Saiyo exhaled as he presented the detonator.

* * *

High in orbit, Commander Ruebryn watched as the mansion detonated, killing many troopers and wounding even more. He watched impassively as the reinforcements on standby began rescue operations for their fallen brethren. He closed his eyes as he deactivated the monitor. Once again, intelligence had been a day late and a wong short. "Lieutenant, get in contact with Inesbruch Orbital Patrol. Have every ship exiting planetside stopped and searched. We are not letting them get away," Ruebryn announced, stoically.

"Sir, a proper blockade would take days, even if we had the resources," another bridge officer spoke up. "If this mission is top priority, shouldn't we…"

"Commander Tasha is occupied with countering the Cascadian insurgency, we can't risk pulling her away lest we lose faith with the Tempa Emperor," Commander Ruebryn explained.

"…And Commander Ashur?" another suggested.

Commander Ruebryn massaged his aching migraines. "…Hopefully one of the Kei got lucky," he said under his breath.

* * *

"…Leilong, are you OK?" Mara asked as they left the penthouse, the Saurian bodyguard glaring them down as they walked down the hallway.

"You mean Shimi?" Eddie interrupted. "No wonder you knew how to handle yourself so well. A pirate who actually knows how to fight. Tell me, those pictures you saw, did you see anyone you missed?" she goaded.

Leilong wheeled around to Eddie, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket as he pinned her to the wall. "Listen good, I want nothing to do with you. I just want this job over and to disappear after I am paid. The less I have to deal with you, the better for everyone involved. Do you understand me?" he growled.

"… These guys we're going up against," Eddie began. "…I noticed one of them was a Ctarl woman. What can you tell me about her?"

"…Why?" Leilong asked.

"I've never gone up against a Ctarl," Eddie admitted. "Are they as tough as they say?"

"…I strung her up with a fully armed det-cord, set it off, and she walked away," Leilong explained. "That give you an answer?"

"…Wow," Eddie breathed. "That's a lot to take in. Tell me, were you tempted?"

"…Tempted to what?" Leilong asked.

"…To bury yourself into a face-full of KITTY TITTIES!" Eddie exclaimed as she shoved her face into Leilong's chest, violently shaking her head back and forth.

Leilong shoved her back against the wall, storming away in disgust as Eddie laughed about her bucket list.

Leilong reached the elevator right after Mara did. He slammed the door shut, leaving Cade and Eddie in the hallway.

"…I guess you've already hit your limit with those two," Mara assessed.

"…Can I trust you with a secret, Mara?" Leilong asked.

"…I'm not sure you can," Mara admitted, trying to be honest.

"…That technology Howard is looking for, only half of it is in the ship," Leilong confessed. "And I do not want him to know where the other half is."

"…Where is it?" Mara asked.

* * *

As Eddie's laughter petered out, Cade joined her against the wall. "…You've got a talent for antagonization."

"And you've a talent for keeping secrets. How long did you know about our pirate friend?" Eddie asked.

"Had suspicions before we met, had them confirmed by Wire Weasel," he explained.

"…You got an attack plan?" Eddie asked as they both headed to the elevator.

"Shimi goes after Starwind, and we handle the enforcers," Cade explained. He noticed Eddie beginning to salivate. "…_I_ will handle the Ctarl, you handle Twilight Suzuka."

"Oh, boo," Eddie pouted.

"Oh, is the ultra class A assassin beneath you?" Cade asked, coyly.

"No," Eddie exhaled. "It'll be good training," she forced herself to admit.

"Good answer," Cade replied.

"…So, Howard says we don't have to kill these guys, just get the ship back," Eddie said as the elevator returned to the penthouse.

"Yep," Cade replied.

"…We're going to kill these guys anyway, huh?" Eddie grinned.

Cade turned to look at his apprentice. "…Yep."


	4. Monster

_To those in the center of the Earth Federations, the Rev is a boogeyman, used to frighten the superstitious and the ignorant of the frontier. __To those who live near space force garrisons and pirate strongholds, the Rev is a myth, used to explain disappearances in the vast emptiness of space. __To those within the pirate guilds, the Rev is a menace, a challenge to their power yet to be surmounted. __To those who consider themselves outlaws with nothing left to lose, the Rev is a symbol of freedom, unburdened by petty morality and the very fear of death. __To those who truly understand and know of him, the Rev is an unyielding force of cosmic nature, a fact of the frontier, and the single most dangerous man to ever consider himself an outlaw. __For to those who follow him, the only law is Rev's Law._

Chapter 4: Monster

Lady Dain-Chen surveyed the area that had once been Hazanko's private study and dormitory. With the remnants of the 108 Stars scattered to the cosmic winds, the opportunity to consolidate his territory proved far too tempting. A staunch ally of the Tendo King, having spent years currying his favor, she became something of an advisor, confidant, and enforcer to the most powerful pirate in the galaxy. This allowed her to use her own organization to wrest control away from the departed Hazanko, much to the chagrin of the other members of the Kei Pirate Guild.

She was a striking woman, her decades of service not readily evident within her young and nubile body with luscious dark hair. She had always taken pride in her appearance as much as her abilities and mind. She was a gifted negotiator and a skilled tactician, with enterprises supplying her with riches that would have seemed so alien to the little girl born on a backwater planet within the Tempa Empire.

Lady Dain-Chen strolled through the hallways, watching as the altered soldiers of the pirate guild tore down any semblance of the fortress's previous owner. The Tendo King, after the loss of his representative, had come to realize his old protégé's treachery, striking his very name from the Kei's public memory. Indeed, part of Dain-Chen's recent acquisition of Hazanko's fortress had come as a form of reward for her loyalty. The Tendo King desired any form of information Hazanko may have left behind regarding his activities, and Lady Dain-Chen was a woman who mastered her ambitions years ago.

"My lady," a small attendant exclaimed as he bowed in her presence. "Guxing and Hatazaki have not reported any activity in the southern sector."

"Then it appears the Strum Korps shall be deigning to attack us from the west," Dain-Chen replied, taking into account their sources in the galactic north and strongholds in the galactic east, such was the nature of navigation, even in this day and age.

"The captains of your security fleet also wish to hold a council to strategize the upcoming battle," the attendant also relayed.

"There will be little need," Dain-Chen replied. "I've already come up with the perfect attack plan."

"My lady?" the attendant balked.

"I shall attack them through their greatest weakness; Commander Asher himself," she explained.

"But Asher's abilities as a warrior are unrivaled throughout the Einhorn Empire, is it wise to take him so lightly?" the attendant pleaded.

"I've seen his record," Dian-Chen replied. "Admirable for an attack dog. I've also conducted a psychological profile through my contacts within the space forces. I can mold him to my will."

Resting a knee towards her attendant, she continued. "Once they arrive, after a brief skirmish I shall feign weakness and surrender. In a show of good faith, I shall transport myself to his ship in an act of submission. And once I am on board, I shall kill him and signal my fleet to press the attack."

"This is quite the gamble you are proposing," the attendant brought up.

"Not when you have properly studied your opponent," Dian-Chen explained as she threw back her luscious dark hair. "Commander Ashur is talented but red-blooded, eager to overextend himself to maximize his glory and redouble his rewards. His vices are greed and pride, in addition to lust. All I must do to gain his attention is to offer myself onto his ship and into his quarters and he will not forgo the opportunity to "humiliate" his enemies."

"But you'll be unarmed," the attendant brought up. "Defenseless!"

Lady Dain-Chen brought up her hand, wreathed in a green energy. "A Tao Witch is never defenseless. He'll have all the power I'll need."

A Kei soldier approached her, bowing his ropey body before his master. "Lady Dain-Chen, the resupply ship is about to exit sub-ether."

Lady Dain-Chen blinked. "They're running late. Have they called with an explanation?"

"Comms are picking up nothing," the soldier explained.

At that moment, the devastated husk of the supply ship was forced out of sub-ether space, hurdling towards the Kei orbital fortress. The grappler ships guarding it moved to intercept, having less than a minute before the collision. As the light craft gathered around the heavier vessel to drag it away from its course, the brewing materials within finally erupted. Lady Dain-Chen watched through a window as the resulting explosion destroyed two of her grappler ships and crippled another.

"Lady Dian-Chan, we have more ships exiting sub-ether from… from the north!" her attendant screamed._ Impossible, _Dian-Chen thought to herself. _There's no way the Strum Korps could have navigated around so quickly._ She activated a holographic display to magnify the new ships arriving. These weren't professional security forces. They weren't even dignified enough to be a rival pirate guild. A ramshackle armada of improvised warships built out of mining, supply, private, and even some military craft were heading towards her position. Then the "flagship," as if it deserved the designation, appeared right after its fleet. It was a supply barge, one of the largest ships of its class, dwarfing even pirate carriers through sheer mass. This one, however, had been extensively modified, with weapons emplacements and missile pods dotting its flat cargo haul.

Her attendant began having an apoplectic fit, eyes widening as he screamed bloody murder. "NOOooooo!" he wailed.

"Explain yourself!" Dian-Chen hissed as her remaining fleet went to intercept the newcomers.

"That's the Dredholk!" the attendant cried. "That's HIS ship!"

"WHOSE?" Dian-Chen growled.

"THE REV!"

* * *

The yacht was more in line with the common light cruiser ample within spaceports already. While on the outside it appeared to be worth the small fortune Mr. Howard proudly advertised as such, inside was where the modifications had been truly apparent. Some of the electronic countermeasures installed near the cockpit rivaled that of military craft. Though the luxurious interior seemed standard, various additions like the library, home theater, mini-spa, and modest gym had been completed at Mr. Howard's behest. While Mr. Howard and his staff occupied the cockpit, Leilong helped himself to the gym, occupying his time with the weight training machine.

He didn't feel like testing himself too much, he wasn't interested in bulking up, instead focusing on lighter settings for reps. After a few thorough sets, he decided to focus on some calisthenics in the meantime. That was when he heard someone pounding away against wood. He looked up from the floor to see a female figure beating away at the wooden wing chun dummy, striking the rungs with a precision that didn't seem possible with her speed.

"…Didn't take you for a student of the old school arts," Leilong said.

Eddie swung around to look at Leilong. It seemed as if she had been so transfixed on her workout she hadn't noticed the other occupant. In fairness, Leilong had been so focused he had done the same. She had finally changed out of her usual ensemble, going for a modest-looking black sports bra and shorts, in addition to the beanie that hadn't left her head. And, Leilong noted, her lithe body was shredded. He'd almost have been surprised if even had an ounce of fat.

"…I like to keep my options open," Eddie explained. "And STAMP training is nothing if not versatile."

"STAMP?" Leilong asked.

Eddie cocked her eyebrow. "Special Tactics Anti-Magic Personnel. You've never heard of it?"

"No, but I never really got the opportunity to work for long in Einhorn," Leilong admitted.

"Well, it's a recent development," Eddie explained. "A hard counter to mages, basically an attempt to neutralize their advantages in battle."

"How's that supposed to work?" Leilong asked, wondering if he was talking to the same person he knew from earlier.

Eddie raised her fists, rotating her wrists quickly and her elbows slowly. "Magic, or ki, or Tao or whatever the hell you want to call it, is all very, let's call it rhythm-based. STAMP units are trained to read and disrupt that harmony, to keep it simple. No rhythm, no spells, no enhanced attacks," she continued.

Leilong nodded, having dealt with his share of magic users from back in the day. Normally he had settled for using superior firepower and ambushes, but he'd be lying if he said what Eddie was proposing wasn't interesting.

"Sounds easier said than done," Leilong added.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Eddie admitted. "Usually you'd need a squad of four to lock down a basic mage, but Cade and I can manage with the two of us."

"He's trained like you are?" Leilong asked.

"Nah," Eddie shook her head. "He went through something much worse."

"…What the hell is with you?" Leilong finally let out. "Back at the hotel, you couldn't go five seconds without instigating something, now we're having a conversation like we're almost civilized.

Eddie pulled out a palm-sized canister, dispensed a pill, and threw her head back as she put it down. "…Class 6 neuro-medicinal capsule, helps me focus and makes me… behave," she grinned. "Cade gives it to me on road trips so he doesn't have to keep looking over my shoulder. Want one?" she offered.

"…Class 6 is a grand-narcotic," Leilong said. "That's three years if you get caught with that. Per pill, in some provinces. I hear it also goes by the name Jekyll."

Eddie shrugged. "I hear it beats dealing with me sober." Leilong had no comment. At that particular moment, he saw the glassy film covering her eyes. Whoever he was talking to, the Eddie he'd been previously acquainted with was probably fast asleep. And to be perfectly honest, Leilong wasn't in a rush to wake her up.

"So, STAMP," Leilong continued as he picked up a dumbbell. "Never took you for military."

"It was that, a street corner, or the morgue," Eddie said as she kept working over the dummy. "Not a lot of options for a street urchin. Orphanage sucked, foster care was worse, and the streets aren't any more comfortable. I got pretty good at fighting, and Strum made me even better."

"So how come you're working for yourself and not for New Rhine?" Leilong asked.

"Mission went wrong, I got caught, Cade risked his neck for me, and we've been together ever since," Eddie explained as her left leg began navigating the rungs.

"I'm sorry, that went real quick, I think you missed a part or nine," Leilong laughed.

"…You ever hear about the Rev?" Eddie asked as she stopped her workout.

"…Let's say I haven't," Leilong responded. "The galaxy is a pretty big place, after all."

"We received a report that a vicious band of nomads had been prowling through the western edge of Einhorn space. My team went to intercept, we had bad intel, and we got cut to shreds. I was the only survivor because look at me," Eddie indicated her body. "I got tied up, some of the thugs tried to get real familiar with me, and Cade buried a hatchet in their necks."

"So that's why you two are so tight," Leilong snorted. "He actually does have a heart."

"Not before he tried to give me the worst haircut ever," Eddie grinned as she lifted up her beanie, revealing a gash streaking across her forehead.

* * *

Lady Dian-Chen watched as her carriers traded shots across the bows of their attackers while her grappler ships weaved through the oncoming craft. Pioneers of grappler warfare, the pirates knew how to use their ship arms to neutralize and cripple their targets. They began disabling thrusters, piercing the hulls and destroying any reactors they could reach. The attackers didn't seem to mind, most of the craft abandoning their comrades in an effort to rush the fortress itself.

Dian-Chen looked down at her attendant, shaking and panicking at the sight of the newcomers. "…You've seen these before?"

"We have to flee," the attendant shook, even as their soldiers rushed past them to man defensive emplacements.

"We are the warriors of the Tendo King. We don't flee from anyone, least of all outlaw rabble," Dian-Chen sneered as she reactivated her green aura. She struck her attendant across the spine, sapping his life force so thoroughly that his broken husk of a body disintegrated before it hit the floor. She felt his life energy add to her own, extending her vitality in addition to the hundreds that had already supplemented her.

As her grappler ships tore into the attacking craft, several other ships launched out from the Dredholk. It was apparent that in a past life, these hunched ships had been boring craft utilized by inner federation mining guilds. Now, these modified monstrosities zipped out to engage her own craft, their large and lanky grappler claws grasping onto any ship unlucky enough not to evade them. Once they did, the bow of the craft just under the cockpits began to open. Split three ways, the "mouths" of the grappler ships immediately fixated on the cockpits of her own grappler ships. The maws of the attackers were a network of interlocking buzz saws, cutting tools, and mining lasers. Even Dian-Chen, after all her years of brutal service, had to switch off the monitors to not view the grisly fate of her pilots.

"Lady Dian-Chen, some transport craft have broken through our perimeter defenses, and have set up a landing zone in the main hanger," another soldier announced over her earpiece.

"Mobilize all local staff not manning battle stations to intercept. Hold them off until I arrive," she announced as she drew her sword. She bolted down the corridor, luscious dark hair billowing behind her.

Elsewhere at the hanger, the initial landers had broken through the primary blast doors, settling in as the auxiliary doors slammed shut behind them. Awaiting them were the iconic Kei foot soldiers, the modified infiltrators and assassins feared throughout the frontier. Alongside them were the green armored suits used to handle heavier tasks. They had a firing line set up behind the various cargo crates strewn throughout the hanger and were prepared to mow down the any unfortunate soul who would leave the craft.

A roar from within echoed throughout the hanger. The first man to leave was a Ctarl Ctarl, albeit looking significantly more deranged than their species was known for. He was a shaggy beast, unkempt hair matting under his chin and over his head, clad in ruined battle armor from past conquests. Two large fangs protruded from his upper lip. His wild eyes cycled through his prey before him, finally settling on one of the green mech suits as a tantalizing target. With a mighty roar, he screamed and leaped forward with a maul the length of his own large body. Before the pirates could focus fire on him, a series of loud bangs and bright flashes covered the shock troopers filing out. It was a mix-mash of Terran, Saurian and some Lorgan fighters, carrying an array of weapons ranging from heavy machine guns to machetes. The resulting melee was a bloodbath for both sides. In the back of the transport, a lone figure watched and waited.

* * *

"So, that's the remotes, the rifles, the tripods, the inferred cameras, and, uh, this, uh…"

"Shredi-Gup. Stasis capsule. Ask Syd, he'll know what it means," Cade responded.

"Right, whatever you say, boss," Wire Weasel replied. Cade stared as the can-shaped device lit up, its meters bouncing up and down as his order was processed.

"…Went through," Wire Weasel announced. "Still have plenty of credit left."

"Frugality is the foundation of prosperity," Cade explained.

"What bumper sticker did you get that from?" Wire Weasel joked.

"Watch it," Cade grinned. "It's one of Callaway's favorites. Unless you found a better place to rent, I'd be careful."

"Yeah, yeah," Wire Weasel muttered. Cade couldn't help but admire Wire Weasel's handiwork. This VIPA had been his lifeline ever since he had gone independent. A direct line to the Carnival, and with it the largest smuggling ring in the galaxy outside of Intersyn or the pirate guilds. All he had to do was say what he wanted, name a location and time, and he'd use the VIPA to then locate the dead drop. He took care to be more than a professional killer. He was a _well-supplied _professional killer.

The door to the mini-spa opened to reveal Mara, clad in a white bathrobe and towel on her hair, stepping out after finishing her session in the hot tub. "Oh, Cade, didn't know you were out here," Mara exclaimed.

Cade grunted.

"…How'd she take the Jekyll?" Mara asked.

"She'll be fine," Cade said.

"…That wasn't easy to get, you know," Mara continued. "I mean, I can write out a fake prescription like the best of them, but getting a narcotic of that potency requires nothing short of a miracle, if I do say so myself," she tried to boast.

"If you say so," Cade said.

"…So… how many more do you need?" Mara asked, hopefully.

"None."

Mara balked. "But she's so much easier to deal with like this!"

"She's docile," Cade sniffed. "I don't need docile."

"She's unbearable," Mara complained. "If she isn't hitting on me, she's threatening me! If she isn't threatening me, she's mocking and belittling me! I haven't heard the end about… the Metzger situation since it happened," she explained, embarrassed.

"…Is it her fault you slept with him?" Cade asked, rhetorically.

Mara blushed. Cade wasn't one for small talk or gossip, and he typically answered questions in the bluntest way possible. "…I'd figure you'd take her side," Mara scoffed, trying to protect her pride.

"My only concern was that he was a space force informant," Cade answered. "He signed up to get close to Howard, to me, and to you as well. It isn't my fault you attempted to extort him with your body, nor is it yours that he blew his cover trying to get information about me." Cade drew closer until his nose was almost touching Mara's. "My only request, princess, is that you keep that incident in mind as you attempt to wrap Leilong around your finger. Don't forget that if the job goes wrong, I'm not afraid to cut losses, no matter who they may be."

Mara had a rough upbringing. She grew up in a world of excess and violence. She'd wanted nothing more than to put her past behind her, establish herself in the medical profession, and lead an upstanding life until circumstances dashed her dreams against the rocks. Since then, she had cursed the day she ever met Cade, cursed her weakness using his services, and wanted nothing more than to clear her debts and disappear into space to resurface under another name.

"You're a real piece of work, Cade," Mara sniffed as she tried to stroll to her quarters. Cade shot out his arm and caught her shoulder. "…So, has Leilong confided anything in you?" he asked.

"…I don't think he's interested in getting with me, sorry," Mara snarked as she tried to break away.

"Quit playing dumb," Cade said. "He's our designated expert in the crew we're about to deal with. I've done some research to compensate, but Leilong's knowledge goes much deeper than that of the crew, I suspect. Is there something we should know that he didn't feel like sharing with us?"

Mara paused. "…Why not just plant another bug in my room. That way if he gets lucky, maybe you'll get lucky," she growled, not hiding her displeasure with Cade.

Cade leaned down behind her and whispered in her ear. "…Thirty-eight."

Mara ripped Cade's arm from her shoulder and stormed away, tears burning in her eyes as she entered her quarters, the sound of the automatic lock bolting shut. Cade pulled down his facemask as he leaned against the door, pressing his ear against the wall. Once again, Mara had come under the delusion that she had some moral advantage against those she resented working with so much, so once more Cade found himself forced to correct her. She didn't like working with Eddie, fine. She didn't like working with him, he understood. She wanted out, she was more than welcome to leave. But she wouldn't. All he had to do was remind her of the thirty-eight bodies she allowed, and her conscience would bind her to try and find something she would convince herself was redemption.

Cade was a monster. He knew it. He accepted it. Embraced it. Learned from the very best. It was what allowed him to kill without hesitation or remorse. It was what caused him to see the value in keeping Eddie alive. It allowed him to know that he could turn his back on Solomon without fear of immediate reprisal. As he heard Mara sobbing into her pillow, it allowed him to know that in a few hours, she would suppress any memory of this encounter, redouble her efforts to seduce Leilong in a misguided effort to protect her from the other two, and get him on board with killing the last remnants of her previous life. Cade grinned as he walked away. If she wanted her past taken care of, she only had to ask.

* * *

"Pagua sonfa pagua sonfa pagua SONFA!" Lady Dian-Chen screamed as a bolt of Tao magic cut into the invaders. The resulting blast effectively pierced lines of energy through their bodies as they charged her, punching holes through their fresh carcasses all the way to the back of the crowd. Those who somehow managed to duck through were dealt with via her jian sword, apparently believing the regal-looking Asian woman with luscious dark hair was an easy target even after her display of power. As she cut through the rugged and disparate attackers, she noticed that there was a commonality among all their features. Their eyes were, to a man (though she had seen a few women as well) all wide open, bloodshot, and frenzied. It was as if they had all been stricken with the same madness, spread among them like a virus. Madness or fear.

As she skewered the remaining survivor through his shoulder, she forced him against the wall, listening over his cries of struggle as the sounds of fighting faded into the distance. It had become apparent soon enough that the strategy of these raiders was no strategy whatsoever. Just a mad dash to find and kill anything they got their hands on. Tactically, though, they were formidable, even she found herself admiring their approach to combined arms, but strategically the whole attack was nonsensical with no objective other than slaughter.

"You," she motioned to her prisoner, digging her blade, and hence his shoulder, into the wall. "Explain the meaning of this attack?"

"…AHHhhhGgghh," the scruffy bandit spat out blood as he tried yanking the blade out of his shoulder with his bare hand, only finding success in wounding himself further. "He was looking…" he panted, blood dribbling down his scarred chin.

"For what? The Leyline project? Loot? Glory?" Lady Dian-Chen tried to cold read the dying man.

"F-F-For…" the man coughed up. A high-caliber shell interrupted him, showering Lady Dian-Chen's face in the resulting mire.

"For you."

As Lady Dian-Chen wiped the residues off her face, she noticed that she could suddenly see her breath before her. This climate-controlled fortress seemed to be losing power, a notion reinforced by the flickering of the lights. As she looked down the hallway, she saw a figure emerge from the black, dragging the body of one of her soldiers by the neck as he carried a triple-barreled hand cannon in the other.

The man was tall, at least a hair shy of seven feet if she discounted the black-rimmed hat perched on his head. His dark coat was every bit as tattered as the rest of the rabble who attacked her base, but that wasn't what caught her attention. Rather, it was the condition of his _body_ that drew her shock. His gnarled hands seemed to have had bits of their flesh flayed to the bone. From under his damaged shirt, it appeared as if his skin took on a somewhat translucent appearance. A rope dangled down his front like a crude and tasteless parody of a necktie. And his face…

His face was largely covered by a burlap mask, save for a few spots that had been mercilessly uncovered. Like his piercing unnaturally green eyes. And his broken, damaged smile.

"Lady Dian-Chen," the voice hissed as he dropped the dead pirate. "I have been waiting a long time… to make your acquaintance," he breathed as he bowed, respectfully.

"Are you the leader?" she spoke. "Are you the Rev?"

The man crowed, holding his body up on the wall as steadied himself laughing. "You've heard of me… and chose not to run? I can hardly remember the last time that happened. Maybe years ago, or perhaps last week? Memory grows… evermore fickle for me, you understand," the Rev tried to explain cryptically, and infuriatingly for Dian-Chen.

"Tell me what you have come for and be off with you!" she snarled.

"I'm looking for… warriors," the Rev explained as he looked up and down the woman before him. "I seek… honorable combat. I seek you, pirate warrior!"

"Then you shall have me, creature!" Lady Dian-Chen exclaimed as she drew her sword and cast another bolt of Tao magic into his body. The Rev staggered, giggling as he felt the pain. He drew up his hand cannon and returned fire, the flexible woman avoiding his shots as she chanted to gather more mana. She fired another bolt, this one knocking his hand cannon out of his grasp as she closed in with her sword. The Rev let out what almost sounded like a squeal of delight as he pulled out his hatchet, catching her strike right before it could pierce him.

"Yes, this is what I want!" he howled as he threw his body towards her, knocking her to the ground as he tried to bring his hatchet down on her head. Intercepting it by striking its handle with her sword, Lady Dian-Chen fired another blast of mana into the Rev's gut, causing the thing to laugh as she drove her blade into his shoulder.

"More, more, more, MORE, MORE!" the Rev screamed as Dian-Chen scrambled away. She found herself stunned by the creature's endurance. Everything she had thrown at this monster would have killed or crippled other… lesser beings. This… vitality he was carrying was unlike anything she had seen. She wondered just how far this being could endure. And, she thought as greed began to fill her heart, just what that would mean when she made his vitality HER vitality.

She charged him again, this time using her sword as a feint. As he took the bait, she brought up her free palm and placed it against his chest. She felt her power surge through her veins as she forced her ki into his blood, looking for the source of his abilities to take it for herself.

Something went wrong.

This was a technique she had developed many years ago, perfecting it on prisoners before moving onto rivals in the guild and adversaries who earned her ire. She had done this hundreds, if not thousands of times. And she had never felt a sensation like this.

Fire coursed through her veins as she screamed, pulling her arm back as she nursed the searing pain. She looked in horror as she watched her arm wither and atrophy, feeling the life energy she had grown so accustomed to experiencing finally leave a piece of her body, one small part of her finally looking her age.

"A pity," The Rev consoled her. "I would have loved nothing more than for someone to take this from me. Come and fight me, it is not too late," he cried as he held up his hatchet.

Lady Dian-Chen clasped onto her arm as she glared up at the creature before him. "…I grow weary of this game," she snarled. "Men, fire at will!"

"WHAT?!" The Rev exclaimed as he looked upon the roof, seeing pirate soldiers hanging upon it as they trained their blasters on him. "NOOOOOOO!" the Rev screamed. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

The soldiers opened up, peppering the husk of a body as Lady Dian-Chen watched the execution with satisfaction. With the leader dead, she would have plenty of prisoners to regain her health and appearance. Not that she would have much time to gloat, seeing as the Strum Korps were on course to arrive any day from now, and this distraction did nothing to aid her defensive preparation. It was an obstacle that she had now managed to navigate, and now had all the time in the world to…

A black mist sprang up around the perforated coat of the Rev. Dain-Chen watched as the mist began to hover around the body, concealing it as tendrils shot out to attack her protectors. It looked like a mass of scorpion tails, pincers, and even some jaws as her soldiers were rent to pieces. One nascent tentacle wrapped itself around her leg and dragged her towards the receding mist, as a familiar figure emerged from the coalescence.

"…I told you… I wanted a fair fight," The Rev growled, heaving his aggressive posture as his rage became palpable. "And now… you've ruined EVERYTHING!" he howled. Lady Dian-Chen steeled herself to look into its eyes, and it seemed as if they had somehow become glistening.

"And now there's nothing you can do to stop me," he exclaimed morosely. "Now I have to start all over again. As for you," he snarled as he glared down at his captive. "I only have two choices for you. Death, or life?"

As a Tao master, Lady Dian-Chen could see the essence of one's ki. For her, it was like a sixth sense, an ability to see one's nascent talent and potential in magic. So when she saw what the Rev truly was, she was paralyzed by the sheer amount of… wrong surrounding this creature. This was more than just ki, however corrupted. This was more than power, the likes of which she had never seen. This was an abomination, an affront to everything she understood about the universe. And it was angry at her.

"L-l-l-live!" Dian-Chen screamed. "I want to live!"

"…Then you shall live as I do," the Rev said as he pulled out his knife.

The survivors had assembled in the main hanger, many sporting wounds of varying severity. When the Rev entered, the Ctarl berserker was the first to get on his knee, the rest of the posse following. The Rev surveyed the remains of his force, feeling envious at those who were not here. He looked down to his berserker, as usual managing to survive the conflicts he still craved.

"…Rukko," the Rev stated. "I have another trophy. When you are finished… add it to the collection," he breathed as he passed the berserker a bloody scalp with luscious dark hair.

"Thy will be done, chief," the berserker nodded.

"As for the rest of you," he announced to the survivors. "The only law is Rev's Law! Kill the wounded, leave the dead, and steal anything your heart's desire!" As the mob let out a cheer and proceeded to storm back through the fortress to revel and loot, the Rev allowed the reavers to rush past him until it was only he and his berserker remaining.

"…How close did she come?" Rukko asked as he pulled out a metal frame.

"…Closer than most. She almost had me. She was so close and then she…" The Rev stopped.

"…I'm sorry, Solomon. I thought she would be the one," the berserker cast down his gaze.

"…On to the next. Maybe the new one will finally… get the job done." Solomon "Rev" Huckebein exhaled.

"And maybe the boy is finally ready," the berserker sniffed. "Track him down, see if he's actually taking his oath to you seriously instead of gallivanting across the universe on your mercy."

"Now, now, Rukko," Solomon said. "I shall remain a man of my word. Six years of freedom… until his obligation to me is due. So long as he stays out of my way, I shall not seek him. In the meantime, how many potential names remain?"

"Just the familiar ones. Angel Links looks promising if you're still wanting to go after that Saurian. And word through the grapevine is that MacDougal has finally resurfaced."

"Which one?" Solomon asked.

"The one you like," Rukko answered as he began lacing the hair strands through the frame. "Also, I heard Commander Sigfried Ashur was in the area."

"No," Solomon shook his head. "The boys are in no condition to lock down a Strum Korps assault. If I can't isolate and fight the man on even terms, then what is the point?"

"Understood," Rukko nodded. "…Also, I'm thinking that maybe we could add another name to the list."

"…I'm listening," Solomon replied.

"New guy, young, pretty much making a name for himself overnight. Claims he took down Hazanko and the Kei haven't disputed it," Rukko offered.

"…You know the rules," Solomon grinned. "You take down a name on the list, you take their place on the list. What's his name?"

"Gene Starwind."


	5. Bait

_Federal Space Forces USSA Branch Bounty Board_

_Name; Edwina "Eddie" Skorzeny_

_Age: 19_

_Height: 1.75 meters_

_Homeworld: New Rhine_

_Affiliations: Strum Korps (former) Carnival (alleged)_

_Wanted for: Murder, Robbery, Assault, Desertion, Witness Intimidation, among others._

_One half of the team currently designated "The Pact," Lance Corporal Edwina Skorzeny is a former member of the Strum Korps STAMP brigade. Having been presumed dead after an unsuccessful raid against an unspecified band of nomadic terrorists, Edwina has been sighted in the company of an individual known only as "Cade Black." A highly skilled martial artist, saboteur, and interrogator, it is strongly advised not to engage her in direct combat. Wanted alive for questioning regarding the activities of suspected employers. Current bounty, as set by the Einhorn Empire, is 700,000 francas._

Chapter 5: Bait

It was one of the more remote planets within USSA space. Tiohara was an outpost world, basically a rest station for passing spaceships in addition to being an occasional garrison to local space forces. The main spaceport, the sole reason most came to the planet, was usually understaffed, giving opportunities for freelancers looking for work. The tenuous economic standing on the planet, coupled with the arid climate, gave locals a rather hostile reputation towards those coming in to look for work.

Three shifty-looking individuals strolled across the dusty road up towards one of the recently rented out offices. They had been recently laid off dockworkers, their cyclical employment the basis for their agitation. Until they would be rehired at the end of the month, they had a lot of free time on their hands and a lot of frustration to vent. One pulled out a rock and looked for a window while another brought out a spray can to mark the large sliding garage door. The third hung back and kept a lookout for the sleepy local militia that largely worked to ensure the homicide rate was kept to a stable level.

The side door opened slightly, and a twelve-year-old blond kid came strolling out, a sawed-off resting on his shoulder. "…Can I help you gentlemen with anything?" he asked, rhetorically.

"Yeah, uh, get the hell out of town, tourist!" The lead flunky screamed as another raised his rock, menacingly.

"Mister, you couldn't pay me to get off this sorry dust ball fast enough," the kid snarked as he brought his weapon before him. The one with the spray can began tagging the door. "Oh, so you are the guys who keep giving us the paint job. A little advice, cabron doesn't have an I," the kid explained.

"Oh, you think you're being cute you little wiseass?" the lead asked as he reached behind him.

The kid cocked the shotgun in front of him. "I'm going to give you five. One… two…"

The flunkies immediately began to scatter. The kid let out a sigh of relief, thankful his bluff with the gun had been effective. As much as he wasn't afraid of using force, outright murder was a steep escalation to deal with petty vandalism. He turned around, but not before the pale face glowering from the doorway had time to duck back inside.

As Jim reentered the office, he glanced at the reassembled Ehefrau sitting on the garage floor. Not wanting to leave his pride and joy on Sentinel, Jim had figured he'd be able to reassemble any machinery at his leisure with enough time and energy. It had taken longer than he thought, with significantly more expense than expected. Story of his life.

He looked up at the banner, letting out a sigh. He had hoped reassembling the car would be a fantastic present for his older brother, but as usual, "big bro" found another thing to occupy his time. _Thing, _Jim thought. _That was no way to think of her. _

Suzuka, having taken her place back at the table, looked up to see Jim rest by the workbench. "…So I guess it went well," she said, coyly.

"You could say that. No money, no ship, and no birthday boy, but at least our crappy storefront didn't get vandalized again," Jim welched. "And could you please leave enough cake for him when he gets back?!" he shouted towards his other coworker.

Aisha was shoveling chunks of pastry into her mouth. "Hey, I left him a piece," she said as she indicated the pathetic sliver she'd "generously" saved for the birthday boy.

"It was hard enough trying to find something like that on this planet, the least you could do is save some for the intended," Jim complained.

"Well, if we can both be perfectly honest, I'd think Gene is busy with something significantly sweeter, wouldn't you agree?" Aisha grinned.

Jim bristled. He knew he should be mature about it, and it really shouldn't have been bothering him. They had been dating for months. They had both been requesting more and more privacy from the rest of the crew. And the idea of taking the Outlaw Star for a "daycation" had been HER idea, of all things.

Jim thought about his older brother. Brave, headstrong, a hard worker when he could be bothered, and noble despite his best efforts. Between the two of them, Jim felt that they had a good thing going together. Of course, that was before Hot Ice Hilda, before they unintentionally adopted their third member. Melfina was sweet, innocent, caring and naïve. Knowing Gene's nature and inclinations, Jim felt it had been his duty to protect his adopted sister from his elder brother… rubbing her the wrong way. Then, after the Leyline, Melfina had become significantly more assertive and confident, hence the Outlaw Star being out of Starwind and Hawking Enterprise's dock until tomorrow morning.

Jim rested his head against the workbench. He was too tired to even think of looking at the expense reports. In recent months, their revenue had begun to stabilize, but they had only now recently began paying off the loans they had accrued. Not helping matters was Gene's recent penchant for escorting courier ships, regardless of pay. As much as Jim wanted to protest, he knew Gene wouldn't budge on his principles. Anything to make sure another kid didn't have to go through what he did.

Suzuka shared a look with Aisha. Gene and Mel had recently become an item, and they could reason that Jim was feeling more and more left out. Aisha was technically a part-time employee, and Suzuka technically only paid rent, but as far as they were concerned, Jim was their friend and in dire need of his own vacation. Something, where he didn't have to look at numbers or think about his adopted siblings hooking up, would probably be for the best.

Those thoughts were put aside when the phone began to ring. Jim immediately put on his eager professional face and bolted for the phone. "Hello, you've reached Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, where we'll fix anything from tractors to relationships! How can we help you?"

"Ah, um, hi," the woman on the line began to speak. "You, um, provide bodyguard services, right?"

Jim looked back at his two associates. Aisha held up five fingers, Suzuka ten. He turned back to the phone. "Will two thousand zollars a night be a reasonable price?"

"That'll be… great," the woman said as she looked over her shoulder. "Your ad says you also have access to a grappler ship, right?"

"Ah, well…" Jim hesitated. She had agreed to their sums and he was terrified of scaring her away now. "Our ship is undergoing some… maintenance," he explained, ignoring Aisha's snickering. "But we should have it by tomorrow morning. Will that be acceptable?"

The woman tensed up, closed her eyes as she took a breath, and exhaled. "…You know what, I think that will work. I just need a place to lay low until then. Could we meet up somewhere?"

"You have a place in mind?" Jim asked as he grabbed a notepad.

"I saw a place, uhm, Guillermo's Taberna. We can meet there in an hour or so, I don't feel comfortable staying in one place for too long. I can explain the rest later, I promise. And I'll pay ten thousand upfront."

"Ma'am, you've got yourself a deal!" Jim exclaimed, delighted by the prospect of paying the month off in a single job. "Can I have a name?"

"Andrea. Thank you, and sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all ma-" Jim was startled by the line suddenly going dead.

"What's her deal?" Aisha asked as she got up from the kitchen.

"No idea, but for all the money she's offering, I'm more than willing to humor her," Jim explained as he began to test the engine of his car.

"Aren't you the least bit suspicious?" Suzuka asked as the car sparked to life.

"I mean, sure, but who doesn't have secrets?" Jim waved off the concern. "For ten grand in one payment, she can keep her secrets."

* * *

Leilong watched from the alleyway as Mara paced by the payphone. The call had gone off without a hitch, but she still seemed like a bundle of nerves. Sometimes acting merely needed one to use their genuine emotions to sell the narrative, so perhaps she needed more credit as a performer. He heard the top of a barrel behind him snap open. Glancing behind him, he saw Eddie breaking open the fifth barrel that day with a crowbar. Behind her, Cade was assembling an engineering contraption consisting of a rifle, a tripod, and a portable engine.

"Either of you need some help?" Leilong asked.

"What gave you that impression?" Eddie shot back. "Just stay on the lookout and give us the word when they finally arrive. Also, if a car pulls up to that chick working the corner, don't forget to use the name Spice Daddy and tell that bitch to make us some money," Eddie cackled.

Leilong didn't figure how one could mistake Mara for a working girl. She was too modestly dressed, her overcoat covering her business attire and giving off the impression she was a young professional in over her head, as was the cover story they had agreed on.

Eddie, having pulled the material from the barrel, found an object the size of a thin soda can. She held it to her ear and listened as it sloshed around. Cade snatched it from her grip. "Oh, could you just tell me what's in it?" Eddie asked.

"Something dangerous and expensive," Cade replied as he activated his remote turret. It immediately homed in on Leilong and fired, its empty magazine clicking uselessly until it would have run empty. Leilong glared at Cade as he pulled out the ammo mag. "…Good thing I take safety seriously," Cade replied.

Try as he might, Leilong just couldn't get a good read on the man. He was basically little more than a kid from what he could tell, just slightly older than Eddie. Between his hatred of small talk and his compulsive need for privacy, Leilong could glean nothing about the man under the mask. He shouldn't mind, but after having such an open conversation with Eddie, of all people, it just made Cade's refusal to disclose even the slightest thing about himself stand out all the more. What little he did know came from Eddie, and she downright refused to elaborate.

"Oye, puta!" Eddie called out from the alleyway. "Quieres tener suerte? Muestrame ese culo!" she exclaimed, speaking some of the local tongue with a surprisingly authentic accent.

Mara ignored her, continuing to pace as she glanced at the clock on the side of the building. The only company she had on that side was a man reading the local paper, who hadn't turned a page in the last half hour. Saiyo Wong was on hand to ensure that Mr. Howard's orders were followed to the letter, and to ensure collateral damage and personal liberties taken by the squad would remain at acceptable levels. Mr. Howard and his staff had remained on the cruiser, having landed some distance away. Like most people in his line of work, Mr. Howard required a lot of dirty work but resented being anywhere close to it.

Before too long, Cade had vanished, taking all his contraptions with him. Eddie, having grown bored and irritated, played hacky-sack with an empty beer can. Leilong maintained professionalism, watching as Mara kept on the lookout as well, before giving the signal and darting inside the tavern. Leilong ducked away as the land speeder drove past his alley. Leilong recognized three of them, having dispatched them all one after the other many months ago. He felt breath against the back of his neck.

"So, that's Midget, Rice Bitch, and Fuzzy Buns," Eddie exclaimed, going over the derogatory names she had given each of the crew after learning of her mission. "Yet there's no sign of Scarface or Schoolgirl. Should we abort?"

"…Negative," Leilong relented. "Just remember what we talked about earlier. If you make a mistake…"

"Rice Bitch will kill me," Eddie scoffed. "She is welcome to try."

* * *

Suzuka entered the sleepy bar first, scanning over the scant inhabitants wallowing in their typical evening hole. As a local watering hole, it was as sparse as the community it inhabited, but its tenure was such that it was spared the usual violence and belligerence of the locals, as there was an understanding that the tavern was an area of neutrality.

She glanced over the handful of occupants within. Their tired, scruffy appearances contrasted with her own regal-like nature. Sitting at the counter was the woman from the phone, nervously fidgeting and staring into her drink. She had tanned caramel skin, thick hair draped down her back and a generously developed body. For some reason, the assassin couldn't help but feel she had seen her face from somewhere before. Suzuka looked over the rest of the occupants, looking to see if any of them were carrying any colors or markings that would indicate further trouble. Satisfied, she motioned for Jim and Aisha to enter in after her.

"Andrea?" Jim asked as he approached her. In the recent months, Jim had undergone some minor growth spurts, finally eking past five feet. Such height brought him to the level of Andrea's cleavage, and Jim found himself silently thankful that Gene was both not here and finally in a stable relationship. Sitting himself on the stool next to her, he extended his hand out to her. "Jim Hawking."

Andrea took his hand, glancing at the Ctarl leaning against a support pillar as the oriental woman ordered a ginseng tea, the only variety the tavern carried. Her eyes darted to the windows, before nervously returning to her drink, downing it in a single gulp.

"Thank you. Andrea Matthews. Doctor. Your ship, it should be arriving soon?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning at the latest," Jim promised. "You expecting company?"

Andrea snorted out a laugh. "You could say that. I'm originally from the Oracion system, tried to set up my own medical practice. I got a bit careless and took some loans out from people I shouldn't have been talking to. You'd be surprised how many lenders get their marching orders from the Asteroid B Guild."

Jim winced. The Asteroid B Guild, or Acid B's as they were known locally, were criminals of a different stripe than the Ban or Kei pirates. As opposed to the feudal nature of the Kei and the galactic-turf obsessed Ban, the Acid B's often functioned like an inner world mob, using various fronts to ingrain themselves within commercial and societal apparatuses, rendering them extremely difficult to trace and dislodge.

"I tried to give them their money back, but with all the… "interest" they said I accrued, they offered me twenty years of indentured servitude, running drugs for them on the side and letting my clinic act as a safehouse for their crews. I did what I thought was the sensible thing and tried to run, but I think I'm being followed by two of their pet killers."

Aisha let out a laugh. "Oh, I'm quaking in fear. Hey Jim, are these Acid B guys the third or fourth biggest pirate guild in Terran space? Because I forget."

"Third, Aisha. Krauss is fourth, Ban just became first," Jim explained. "Although if things keep going for the Kei like they have been, the Acid B's might become the second biggest in the next five or so years."

"Oh, so instead of taking out the strongest group on their own, they're just waiting their turn in line like a bunch of Terran school kids?" Aisha laughed. "Sorry, sometimes I want to pretend to be impressed by pirates, but against a Ctarl-Ctarl they really have their work cut out for them!" she boasted loudly.

Suzuka drank the cup of what clearly wasn't ginseng before turning to Andrea. "…These killers who are after you, can you describe them?"

Andrea furrowed her brow. "…The one I met on Oracion went by Eddie Skorzeny."

"Einhorn?" Jim asked.

"I guess. She looks pretty frigging Aryan, if you ask me. Has the elitist attitude of a noble, and the crass personality of a street thug." Suzuka and Jim, for the briefest of moments, shot a glance towards Aisha as the feline woman yawned, deciding to keep their comments to themselves.

"Name doesn't ring a bell," Suzuka admitted. "What about the other?"

"That guy… I just hear rumors," Andrea lied. "You guys ever hear about a man named Cade Black?"

Suzuka shook her head. Perhaps it was because she hadn't spent much time in USSA space, but the names and reputations of those who fancied themselves contenders in the high echelons of murder-for-hire always had a habit of fluctuating, rather than stabilizing. It was a reality of the business, names never tended to last. Those that did, however, were worth staying wary of. That being said, it was an open secret within the "extralegal service industry" that some of the best killers knew how to fly under the radar. Someone with a modest bounty may be significantly more dangerous than whatever the resident space forces committee would designate them so. Suzuka may have been young, but she had lost most of her cavalier attitude regarding rival threats long ago.

"So, where do you need us to take you when my partner gets back?" Jim asked.

Andrea checked the nearby window as a shadow passed through the blinds. "…I have some friends in Volgolia."

"That's all the way in Piotr," Jim exclaimed.

"I promise you, I. Will. Pay." Andrea enunciated. "In the meantime, how fortified is your office?"

"If we get back and lock everything down, it's going to take more than two people to bust in, and it would require enough noise to really get the attention of local authorities."

Andrea nodded. "Sounds like a deal. I'm ready if you guys are," she said as she grabbed her suitcase.

"Jeez, lady, what's in that thing?" Jim exclaimed as he marveled at the size of the carrier.

"I tend to travel a lot, so it's basically my mobile office," Andrea replied as she got between Suzuka and Aisha. Jim brought up the rear, nodding at the bartender as they exited the building. As they left, the bartender took out the ten thousand "Andrea" paid him to keep his silence. Whatever happened outside his bar, he would have no knowledge of it when the authorities came to ask.

As Mara left the building, flanked by the two scariest looking women this side of Eddie, she briefly scanned the rooftops. Against the moonlit night, she couldn't make out the signs of any observers. Taking a breath, she asked Jim if he had a vehicle parked nearby.

"Got it in an alleyway about a block from here," Jim answered. "It might be a little tight, but before too long we should be able to…"

"Spare zollars, me amigos?" An amateurish and somewhat offensive voice spoke up. The group turned to see someone in a comically oversized poncho and sombrero, price tags still on both, approaching them from beside the tavern. "I have a mucho grande familia to feed at mi casa! To make matters worse, some little bitch stole all my money!" Eddie raised her eyes up to stare down the group, locking eyes with Mara. "You got a debt to work off, my friend." She glanced around at the two women flanking her. "Well, you hired help? Not a bad idea. Maybe they can pay your debt off for you." She glanced up and down Aisha. "Especially you. Here, kitty-kitty-kitty."

Mara had to bite her tongue. As usual, Eddie was going off-script. If this went south, Cade was going to take it out on both of them. Why couldn't that little idiot realize that?

Suzuka immediately shot forward, bokken at the ready. She braked immediately before her blade made contact with Eddie's neck. "…I politely suggest you walk away," Suzuka spoke calmly.

Aisha cracked her knuckles. "You know what, Suzu, I say you hand her off to me for a little. She wants to introduce herself, I say let her," she grinned as her muscles tensed, dropping her shoulder-pads to the ground. The sound of a whining engine cut through the relatively peaceful night. A single-seat speeder weaved its way around the corner, its dark-clad rider eyeing up his targets. As he passed, he pulled out a revolver, aiming it squarely at Mara's head, much to her horror. Jim forced her to the ground, and Aisha covered both of them as he fired. Not even halfway to its target, the wooden blade intercepted the bullet, bisecting the shell in half.

"Whoa," Eddie breathed. "Badass!" she cheered as she readied both her stun batons, striking Suzuka as her back was turned. Suzuka let out an agonizing scream, her body involuntarily twisting behind her to strike Eddie across the face with an open palm. As Eddie wheeled away with Suzuka permanently on her guard, Aisha immediately bolted after the airspeeder's rider. "COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PUNK!" she howled.

"AISHA, DON'T GET SEPARATED!" Jim screamed as Suzuka cut into the air before her, sending a blast into a nearby car that Eddie only barely managed to dodge.

"We can handle this, Jim! Just get the client back to the shop!" Suzuka ordered as she parried a strike from Eddie. Jim gulped and nodded, grabbing Andrea by the hand and pulling her away from the fighting. He looked down the street to see that the rider had ditched his speeder and had begun climbing up a fire escape with Aisha in hot pursuit. _Just relax, Jim, _he told himself as he led his client around the corner, towards where they parked the car. _Aisha and Suzuka are two of the best fighters in the galaxy. These guys are nothing compared to the Anten Seven. Just as long as they aren't anything like- _As Jim turned into the alleyway, he learned two things about the universe. The first was that it had a sense of humor and that it was out to get him.

"...You," Jim breathed. "We buried you..."

"Hey, long time no see. Jim, was it?" Leilong asked as he leaned his pack against the Ehefrau.

Jim immediately pulled out his revolver, backing into Andrea as he started making threats. "BACK OFF! I don't know what you're after, but I am not looking for a fight!" he said as the shock began to dissipate.

"Good. Me neither," Leilong replied as Jim felt something sharp pierce his neck, swallowing his world in darkness.


	6. Snare

Federal Space Forces USSA Branch Bounty Board

Alias: "Cade Black"

Age: Unknown; suspected estimate around early-twenties.

Height: approx. 1.82 meters

Homeworld: Unknown

Affiliations: Carnival (alleged) Silas Absalom Gang (suspected)

Wanted for: Suspicious activity involving terrorism, contract killing, unregistered bounty hunting, fraternizing with known criminal elements, executing space forces assets, among others.

One half of the team currently designated "The Pact," the individual carrying the suspected alias "Cade Black," has been sighted numerous times along the outer territories of Federation space. A secretive entity, the suspect has demonstrated on numerous occasions hostility and contempt towards authoritative government bodies. Believed to have been involved in numerous altercations against the space forces, an accurate assessment of his actions is almost impossible due to the thorough purging of his personal history. However, an analysis of his MO and a professional assessment of his known combat data indicates a possible connection to the notorious outlaw Silas Absalom. With this in mind, interested parties are advised to approach with EXTREME caution. Current bounty, as set by the USSA, is 600,000 zollars, preferably alive for questioning.

Chapter 6: Snare

_You have one new voice message. __**Beep**__. Good evening, Chief Morales. It's your old acquaintance calling in. Remember those favors I took care of for you a while back? Well, my brother and some associates of mine are planning a little surprise party for one of the new tenants in the northern section of the commercial district. It would be much appreciated if you could steer your patrols away from that sector and ignore some of the more… disruptive calls from the area. You know how seriously I take my surprises. If you need a little extra incentive, I've wired a payment to your personal account. Don't worry, I've already had your information for a while. I have quite a lot on you, as it were. Just wanted to make sure we are on the same page, Hector. Well, take care of yourself and do your best to keep your nose clean. As always, it is a pleasure doing business with you._

* * *

Suzuka kept her guard up as she was backed further and further into the alleyway. Her attacker kept up the barrage of strikes, forcing her to block and parry from frequently unorthodox angles. The blonde little gremlin would occasionally dive up the wall, trying to slam her entire body behind a strike that drove Suzuka further towards the dead end. Suzuka was an accomplished duelist, with her life on the frontier giving her ample opportunity to test her mettle against opponents who augmented themselves mechanically or magically. There was very little that could rattle her.

The other woman threw a kick at her leg. Suzuka's knees buckled but she remained upright, throwing a strike that fended away the frenzied belligerent. The assassin was finding it very difficult to summon up her ki, the beanie-clad thug always managing to find some way to throw off her rhythm. It was hard to describe, but it appeared like she could distort and disrupt all of Suzuka's attempts to focus her energy through her body, preventing her from landing that one blow that would rend this "Eddie" in half.

Parrying another blow with her stun baton, Eddie twisted her back and neck to an almost impossible angle to avoid another strike by the assassin. In her past life, her day job usually consisted of tracking down wrinkly old geezers who couldn't vacate their bowels without magic, which still allowed them to remain dangerous and required unconventional tactics to deal with. Fortunately for her, Suzuka didn't have enough power to be a fully-fledged mage. Unfortunately for her, this was offset by the fact that the bitch actually knew how to fight. Which, Eddie thought as she leaped upwards to avoid a low swing, was the best part of the whole thing.

* * *

Aisha couldn't remember the last time she had been quite so ecstatic. Her prey, having dismounted from the motor-speeder, had climbed a fire escape to escape his pursuer, ignorant to the fact that the Ctarl-Ctarl were the greatest trackers in the galaxy, she being able to scale the bars and stairs in a fraction of the time he could. He had then taken to sprinting from rooftop to rooftop, unaware that the Ctarl Ctarl were able to navigate such obstacles as kits, with Aisha herself a local record holder for track and field in her home province. She watched in amusement as he barely cleared the gap from the sixth rooftop he passed over, nicking his shins on the brick wall and slipping down to his shoulders, his elbows and hands the only thing propping him up from the five-story drop.

Aisha, in one continuous motion, cleared the gap easily, even leaning down to grab her prey by the back of his coat to hoist him out from the wall and onto the rooftop, the throw sending him sprawling for a few meters before coming to a stop.

"Honestly," Aisha taunted. "I'd have expected you hired killers to take your conditioning a lot more seriously in this line of work."

Cade tried to covertly gasp for air. The one thing he hated was a direct confrontation. There was nothing he despised more than a "fair" fight. Hell, even direct combat, in general, was something he found distasteful. He glanced over the Ctarl-Ctarl as she continued her rant about the superiority of her warrior lineage and culture as if it was something he was expected to give a damn about.

He drew his magnum and fired at her as he got back to his feet, trying to put distance between him and the mighty warrior whatever as she scrambled around his bullets. As she charged him again, he fingered the canister on his belt. Still cold. Moving up the belt, he grabbed another canister. He pulled the pin as he tossed it right in front of her. The sharp bang deafened her as the piercing light blinded her eyes.

* * *

"You know, this is actually not a bad vehicle," Mara exclaimed as she drove through the late-night traffic.

"Make sure you let him know that," Leilong snarked as he rested his elbow on the edge of the door.

"I mean, the make is, what, only forty years old? I'd say that makes it a classic. No wonder they've been putting so much effort into babying this thing. I think I hear a GT-50.8 purring under the hood," Mara grinned as she turned a corner.

"You're talking like you're some kind of gearhead," Leilong said as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Well when you get right down to it, there's little difference between automobiles and anatomy," Mara shrugged.

"I can think of a few," Leilong sniffed.

"Every car has a well-designed structure and system within its layout. With care and attention, even the oldest of clunkers can last for much longer than they deserve to. Sounds like anything else?" Mara coyly asked.

Leilong grunted in understanding. Of all his current associates, apart from Saiyo, Mara was by far the easiest to talk to. She was respectful, helpful, and he had to admit quite the eyeful. In another life, she probably could have used her looks to land an older, wealthier partner, or partners depending on her ambitiousness. Instead, she had gone to medical school, learned her stuff, and still found some way to squander any attempt to stay straight and clean.

"So, how do you think we should attack this?" Leilong asked.

Mara glanced at him. "I figure we use the leverage we've got," indicating the trunk of the hovercar. "It'll be tense, but we make the trade-off right as we get onto the ship, and it's smooth sailing from then on!"

Leilong smirked. "So, a boy for a grappler ship. Seems like we'll be leaving with quite the bargain. And, uh, I appreciate you not…"

Mara looked at him. "Not what?"

"Not mentioning the bit of information Mr. Howard didn't fill the other two in on. I'm glad we've both decided to leave her out of it."

"Who's… Oh, the bio-android!" Mara exclaimed. "Right, I forgot. Yeah, we've got enough on our hands just getting ahold of the grappler ship. I really don't want to press our luck trying to bring that thing along as well.

"…Right," Leilong answered.

"Honestly, I also really don't feel like constantly guarding it against Eddie. I swear, that horny idiot thinks every synthetic organism is for her to "sate her appetite," but then again if throwing her a bone will get her to calm down, maybe I could arrange a replica of myself as a "going away and I never want to see you again" present," she shrugged.

"…You don't like bio-androids, do you?" Leilong asked.

"I wouldn't say I hate them, I just think that they're cheap replicas of humanity, and it isn't like the galaxy is hurting for more humans anyway. All that time and energy to create a counterfeit living being, just to serve a singular function? It isn't even accurate to call them servants, more like tools or toys," Mara replied.

Mara's assessment was… far from uncommon. In the inner federation, where bio-androids were somewhat more commonplace, there was a growing debate as to whether or not bio-androids qualified as human life, and therefore were deserving of the same rights and protections enjoyed by their creators. Leilong believed that they did, though it may have largely come from a lack of belief regarding anything uniquely "special" about human life.

He felt something buzzing by his leg. Leilong took out Saiyo's communicator. It had been decided after they landed here that all communications be run through their handler, to prevent eavesdropping and to prevent misinterpretations between Mr. Howard and his contractors.

"Saiyo, what's up?"

"We might have to up the timetable. Chauncey's been listening in to sub-ether traffic and he's getting reports that a Strum Korps Heavy Cruiser is in the area."

"What is one of those ships doing this far out in the frontier?" Mara asked as she turned to the commercial district. "I thought they were all hunting pirates?"

"It's just whispers and rumors, but they've been throwing the name Praetorian around."

Mara let out a vicious string of curses that caught Leilong off guard. He looked over to her as she began clutching the steering wheel tighter than ever.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Let's just get there and finish this up," she gritted. "The sooner we leave, the better."

* * *

Eddie's body slammed against the side of the dumpster, leaving behind an indent as she spat out some blood. She's gotten cocky and reckless, gambling with her body to land that one strike that would end this duel. Suzuka was prepared, however, and had a counter she had readied since the duel had practically begun. Eddie didn't feel like she had broken anything, but with how her adrenaline was pumping, she could have been broken in half without her knowledge.

Suzuka trained her wooden sword on her battered assailant. Her typically immaculate appearance was littered with scuffs and tears, her shawl having fallen from her robes after Eddie pulled a knife on her, the strike barely missing her chest.

Eddie looked up at her. "…You got a cigarette?" she asked as she tried to pull herself up.

"A little late for last requests," Suzuka replied as she cautiously closed the distance with her adversary.

"You kidding me? I don't know about you, but this… this is better than sex," Eddie grinned. "Tell me something, you ever kill someone so good, you climax?" she asked.

"…Well, aren't you just the most twisted little degenerate," Suzuka responded.

"I'm not hearing a no," Eddie heckled.

"…Crass as it may be, occasionally my feelings regarding targets extend beyond what you could consider satisfaction," Suzuka admitted.

Eddie laughed. "No wonder you use a sword. Guns remove a certain… intimacy in the whole deal. Being the last thing a pair of eyes see as they glass over, well, there's nothing else quite like it. For the briefest of moments, you feel nothing but raw… power."

Suzuka glanced the fallen woman over. "…People will always lust over that which they don't have. The quest for power is often a futile one. It's an animal that always consumes yet is never satisfied. Like an addict craving for their next fix, you will never find any satisfaction in this line of work, just eternal neediness for an evermore fleeting high."

Eddie curled her lip. "I'm being lectured morality by an assassin. Do you realize how sanctimonious you sound?"

Suzuka betrayed a small smile. "I accomplished my goal some time ago, so it's given me some time to reflect. Without revenge, I began considering where to go from there, and that led me to stay with my new family, in my new home."

"I don't need a home. I don't need family," Eddie growled as she picked herself from the ground. "I don't need friends. I don't need love. I don't need God. I don't need my CO. I don't need my squad. I don't need pity," she continued as she slowly began approaching Suzuka in a trance-like state. Suzuka was caught off guard by the sudden change in Eddie's demeanor and was snapped back to reality once she felt her foot touch the ground behind her. For the first time in her memory, an opponent made her step back.

"I need… YOUR DEAD BODY!" Eddie shrieked as she charged Suzuka.

* * *

Aisha was surrounded in a world of light and silence. She fell to her hands as she tried to reorient herself to the planet. She felt the splitting headache threaten to cleave her skull in half. She pulled herself to her feet, still blind and deaf. Two senses down. Four more remained. One already found the little bastard.

Her nose picked up the distinct smell of chemicals as they ignited. Her whiskers felt the disturbance in the air, forcing her body to duck and roll, the bullet streaking past her hair. On all fours, she charged down her attacker, knocking aside his rifle before he had time to fire another round. As she came to, she saw as she pinned a young, tan-skinned human to the ground, rifle across his neck as his thick greasy hair, free of his hat, sprawled on the rooftop.

"DO YOU…" Aisha screeched uncomfortably. "HAVE ANY IDEA… HOW MUCH FLASHBANGS HURT?!"

The man glared up at her, not uttering a word. At least, she thought he wasn't, but it was hard to tell with the facemask. She reached down and yanked the balaclava down. The man had a lean face, with prominent cheekbones, hardly any facial hair, and a long, broad nose. His lip was curled in anger as Aisha continued to rant about the sanctity of a Ctarl-Ctarl's ears, how damaging them was one of the most egregious insults one would ever have the misfortune of bestowing upon a Ctarl-Ctarl, and how constantly showing your back and running from your opponent was unbecoming of anyone wishing to be a proper warrior.

Proper warrior? Cade fought back a mix between a smile and a sneer. What business did he have of pretending to be a warrior? That was a title left exclusively to idiots with delusions of grandeur. Cade wanted nothing to do with such a designation. Cade wasn't a warrior. Cade was a hunter, and it was now time to spring his trap.

Aisha noticed the detonator shaped device in the palm of his hand. She had spent so long screaming at him that she didn't notice him smuggling the device down his sleeve as Aisha was shouting in victory. And he had already pressed the button.

From across the rooftops, his contraptions began to activate. It was a simple engineering mechanism, a basic robot a reasonably clever high school student could replicate. Granted, most probably wouldn't have access to high-powered rifles or laser targeting. From six vantage points, all centered towards the stage Cade had chosen from the very beginning, the improvised turrets activated. Aisha, caught in the crossfire with nowhere to go, was brought down in a hail of bullets. Cade pulled the bullet-riddled body off of him, dusting himself off as he used his rifle to prop himself back up.

It had been close, far too close. The Ctarl were a feared race, and rightly so, but once one looked past the ferocity and abilities they brought to the table, they were often little more than animals. He took a breath as she looked down at his battered, barely conscious foe. He reached for his hatchet. Some habits never left, despite his best efforts. As he pondered how best to approach his prize, he realized that his communicator had been activated.

"Anything to report?" he asked.

"We just intercepted a transmission from the spaceport. We've confirmed the Praetorian has been given orbital docking permission."

Cade winced. This was the last thing his team needed to deal with. Sigfried Ashur was the one variable that did not belong in this equation. He weighed his options, entertaining the notion of sacrificing Leilong to hold off that dangerous bastard if he ever made planetfall. He looked up at Tiohara's night sky, wondering if he could see the incoming ship past the lights of the city and the glow of the full moon. _Speaking of variables, _he thought to himself as he felt a low growl behind him…

* * *

"Worst comes to worst, Saiyo is going to see if he can secure us a transport off-world if the Praetorian risks coming in before the Outlaw Star does," Mara growled, hissing as she parked near the curb of the office building.

"Forgive me for being out of the loop, but why is this Praetorian such a big deal for a handful of two-bit guns-for-hire?" Leilong asked he scanned the rooftops.

"You ever hear about a guy called Sigfried Ashur?" Mara asked.

Leilong blinked. Finally, a name he had heard of. "I heard he was something of a rising star in the Krauss Pirate Guild a couple of years ago. The youngest captain to become a grappler ace in human history, and I hear he was also a complete terror to fight on the ground."

"That's the guy," Mara gritted. "He struck a deal with Einhorn and the Strum Korps about three years back, became a privateer and commander while still indulging in a little selective piracy and bounty hunting on the side. If he knows we're here, he is going to collect the bounty on all of our heads."

Leilong stroked his chin as he glanced down some of the alleyways. "…Would he be here for us, or Mr. Howard, I wonder?"

"It wouldn't matter to him," Mara sniffed. "He will not leave this planet empty-handed. Cade and Eddie can fend of themselves, as can you, but if worst comes to worst…" Mara stared into Leilong's eyes. "…Do not let him get his hands on me, Leilong. Please."

Leilong stared back. "…You've met him before, haven't you?"

Mara broke eye contact. "Another reason I want to destroy this identity and create a new one elsewhere. One of many. Cade and Eddie are both willing and capable of selling me out to him to save themselves, but if you swear to me you won't let him get his hands on me, I will be your new best friend, and I will serve you with the utmost devotion."

Leilong balked at the offer. Mara's desperation was palpable. But considering the status of her other allies, it made a sort of sense. Eddie reeked of unreliability, and he had watched Cade fire a bullet directly at her head. If it was protection she wanted, he would gladly give it, but what would she offer in return? Mara didn't strike him as someone who wanted to be beholden to anothers charity.

"…Let's discuss it inside," Leilong finally relented as he stepped out of the car, dragging his pack from the back. "…How long is that tranquilizer going to last?"

"Three hours," Mara explained as she fished her case from the back seat.

"…Should we crack the trunk open a little, give him some air?" Leilong suggested as he glanced at the hovercar.

"He's out like a light, his breathing will be shallow and at this time of night, overheating won't be a concern," Mara explained as she approached the front door. "So, all we have to do is stay here, lock it down, wait for the others, and jump Starwind when he arrives," Leilong sighed as he joined alongside her.

"Hey, it's not honest work, but it'll pay all the bills we ever need," Mara shrugged as she opened the door. From the darkened interior, a beam of light shot towards the doorway. Leilong acted immediately, throwing Mara to the floor as the stream of magical energy soared over the two, slamming into the storefront across the street as it left a crater in the building large enough to park a car.

* * *

The tiger-beast swiped another claw at Cade, taking him off his feet and planting him on his back as the animal set herself upon him. Cade cursed himself for neglecting to remember this simple aspect of Ctarl biology. One would have thought that traveling with Rukko would have amended this ignorance!

The white-furred beast sprung on top of him, baring its fangs towards the hunter with only the stock of his rifle holding the beast at bay. The beast shoved Cade towards the edge of the roof, his back dragging against the asphalt. He found himself at an impasse. The only thing holding the monster back was the rifle currently jammed in his mouth. Breaking off and running would only allow the beast to pursue and rend him apart on its time. Trying to use the hatchet or magnum would only risk further agitating the already infuriated monster. No, now was the time for him to utilize the Ctarl's homeworld against her. It was the last play he could make.

He managed to land a kick under the jaw of the beast, causing it to stagger momentarily enough for him to pull his way back and reach for the canister. He shook it for a little and felt relief flow through his body as the liquid inside began to slosh. He cracked the capsule open as the beast charged him once more, jaws poised directly to Cade's throat. Cade gripped the canister in his hand and swung it towards the beast's gaping maw, the recently unthawed fish soaring out of its container and directly into the mouth of the beast.

The beast hesitated as it felt bitter-tasting meat enter its gullet. The Ctarl-Ctarl were far from picky eaters. Practically every animal on their homeworld was the primary ingredient to several dozen various meals and delicacies. Barring few exceptions, such as the thing that had just entered Aisha's throat.

One of the most common fears Ctarl-Ctarl fisherman had to worry about was catching a large Brugo-Bruga Gulper or other such Ctarl-Ctarl dietary staple, only to find that its innards were ravaged by the parasitic wastrel fish known as the Shredi-Gup. It was a small aquatic vermin, hardly longer than two fingers, that often fed off and nested within the bellies of larger fish. Or a very unfortunate Ctarl-Ctarl.

Spines and bony thistles dug into Aisha's throat. The beast let out a strangled howl, pawing her neck in pain as she spat out blood. As the tiger-beast writhed in agony and thrashed in a futile effort to escape its predicament, Cade had quietly escaped the rooftop.

* * *

Suzuka had picked herself off the concrete sidewalk as she narrowly avoided another strike by Eddie. Her sudden change in personality completely altered her fighting style. Before, Eddie had been calculatedly reckless, always measuring her offense before committing to anything Suzuka could punish her for. Suzuka was under the impression that Eddie had found the whole duel to the death more amusing than anything.

Now, Eddie's style was… for lack of a better word, perfect. Suzuka had never seen someone marry offensive and defensive schools of thought to such an extent that it made a one-on-one duel seemingly impossible. Every strike set up a parry. Every block was in actuality a counter. Every dodge repositioned her opponent in such a way that Suzuka had to re-strategize every time Eddie slightly modified her angles and degrees. To Suzuka, it was like playing chess against an opponent who could read your mind.

Suzuka went over a chainlink fence that separated the roadway from a dried-out concrete ravine, hoping to put some distance between her and her pursuer. Eddie scaled it as her eyes bore into Suzuka, having not left her trance-like state since the fight had left the alleyway. Suzuka could do little but keep her guard up as Eddie strolled towards her. Her stun-batons hung limply at her sides, a false opening Suzuka had already been punished for believing quite a few times since the duel left the alley.

Suzuka could no longer hide her heavy breathing. Her robe was now practically in tatters, hanging off her body like an oversized rag. Her ponytail had been broken, giving her the added worry of keeping hair out of her eyes. Eddie, on the other hand, had a broken nose, a swollen left eye, a bloody lip, and she had lost her jacket sometime during the melee, revealing her broad arms covered in welts and bruises from Suzuka's previous strikes against her guard. She raised her stun-batons before her once more.

Suzuka was willing to die if it meant keeping this woman away from her partners. When one became an assassin, they open themselves to the possibility of succumbing to circumstances beyond their control, just as she was seeing before her. That being said, there was still a choice for her to make. The black-clad rider had entered her peripheral vision, having joined his partner on the ground level some distance away, with only Suzuka's honed awareness giving away his position. He was pointing a rifle at her. Suzuka closed her eyes as she made her choice. Cade fired as Eddie charged her for the last time. Suzuka waited until the bullet passed through the chain-link fence before swinging her blade to intercept, once again bisecting the bullet. This action, however, left her flank vulnerable to Eddie, precisely as she dug her stun-batons into her ribs. The scream could be heard blocks away by those who had taken shelter during the vicious melee. Eddie snapped back to reality as she saw the ivory woman spasm and jolt where she stood before collapsing down to the ravine, landing ungracefully at the bottom of the meager and polluted water source.

Eddie blinked. "…God…DAMN IT!" she shrieked. "I COULDN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED!"

Cade watched Eddie curiously as she scaled the fence to meet back up with him. "You saw it, right? How did I do? Did it look cool? How many hits did I land? I kicked her ass, right? Ultra-Class A ain't nothing to me! I put the ART in MARTIAL ARTS! I'm the…"

Cade stopped her by grabbing her nose and setting it back into place. As Eddie winced and buckled her knees, Cade motioned for her to follow him.

"…What the hell happened to you? Looks like the kitty really roughed you up. Lucky bastard," Eddie added the last part under her breath.

"…Got sloppy," Cade admitted. "Underestimated her. Not going to make the same mistakes. Rukko would have skinned me alive for errors like that."

"Speaking of mistakes," Eddie said as she wiped some of the blood away from her nose, "Has Leilong reported back yet? Did we finally knock out Scarface?"

"…No," Cade replied. "He hasn't."

* * *

Leilong checked to see if Mara was still all right, first and foremost. "…I'm breathing," Mara announced after she finished coughing from the dust and debris. Leilong dragged her back to the car right as the garage door to the office began to open. Around a half-dozen armed men, seemingly local, poured out with guns trained on the two. Following them, having to kneel to escape the frame, was another riding in a story-tall exo-suit, its gorilla chassis exposing only the head of the presumed leader of the local gangbangers.

"…I think we have the wrong address," Mara began to speak as they back to the car. No sooner did they reach it when two feline-shaped robotic weapons surrounded the car, their gun-mounted craniums staring down the interlopers. Leilong and Mara glanced at one another, trying to decide how best to proceed.

The door to the office began to open. The first to stroll out was a blue-haired man in a sheepskin jacket. He rested an assault rifle on his shoulder as he stared down the two newcomers. As Mara glanced him over, she could see seams running down his face and arms. This man had a fully cybernetic body, she noted in wonderment.

Another followed after him. This man wore a red coat, and Leilong noted that he was holding a caster weapon by his side. And he was brushing off some cake crumbs from his mouth. His yellow eyes darted between the ex-Kei pirate and his younger female companion.

"…Sorry," Ron MacDougal began. "I'm afraid this business is under new management."


	7. Bleed

_As humanity took its place among the stars, its appetite for the galactic manifest destiny took hold in their collective hearts. Such was the aggressiveness of their expansion that their ability to consolidate authority almost became impossible. Thus, human space was divided into four empires. United only within the Sol system, these empires and territories constantly attempt to outmaneuver one another over resources. This extends to the pirate guilds as well, where inter-factional conflicts are a regular occurrence. And farther unto the frontier, the outlaw often struggles alone, where their own conflicts are oftentimes comparatively meager, but more personal…_

Chapter 7: Bleed

Gene awoke to the feeling of a sweet aroma coming from down the corridor. Pleasant as it was, it conflicted with his own desire to be lazy. Rolling the comforter around himself, he reached out his arm to pull her closer to him. Grabbing nothing, Gene's brain finally caught up to his consciousness. Groaning, his body surrendered, pulling itself from its bed as he looked for his boxers and t-shirt. He was only able to find the former as he left his quarters.

Stepping outside, he found Mel running the kitchen, whipping some eggs as the toast and bacon awaited him. Gene announced his presence by cracking his back. Mel turned back to look at him, offered a smile, and motioned him to sit while the rest of the meal was prepared.

"…So, how has your birthday been?" Mel asked as she poured the eggs on the skillet.

"…Honestly, probably the best ever," Gene answered. Mel smiled as she continued working on the eggs. "…I know I enjoyed myself," she admitted.

"I mean, it sure beats a hotel room," Gene grinned. "And it's not like a day's worth of fuel is going to set us back all that much. Not that Jim won't give me an earful when I get back," he continued as he took a bite out of his toast.

"…You said he was OK with this?" Mel said as she looked over to him.

"He didn't complain, at least. I mean, why would he, it was your idea," Gene continued.

"…I think the three of us should do something together soon," Mel said as she dished out the eggs on the platter. "He seems kind of distant. Maybe its because we've been so…"

"Why should that matter?" Gene scoffed. "We're both adults. Jim knows that, it shouldn't bother him."

"Maybe he just feels left out," Melfina suggested. "…Could we get him a pet or something?"

"…Maybe its just that his social circle consists of his coworkers," Gene replied as he downed his black coffee. It stung, but it gave him the kick he needed. "Kick him out of the office and shop for a while, tell him not to come back until he finds another girlfriend, that should teach him."

Mel gave Gene a disapproving look. "…I'm kidding," Gene relented. "But it really has to stink when you hang out with the same people day after day. I mean, you only get to be a kid once, he shouldn't be hunched over a spreadsheet or truck engine his every waking hour. I say give him his own space and let him handle things for himself for once. I think the two of us can cover things just fine on our own for a while, don't you think?" Gene asked as he shoveled some eggs onto his plate.

"I suppose you're right. I trust you," Mel replied. The last three words she uttered had to be the most beautiful thing he had ever heard coming from her. Despite everything that had happened between them, the coldness, his emotional reclusiveness, having taken her for granted for months, this beautiful woman still believed the absolute best in him. He'd be proud to let her know that it was taking an effect, he had found himself scaling back his drinking and spent less time ogling other women than he had used to. Some days, he almost felt like a responsible adult.

"Hey, Mel, is that my shirt?" Gene asked.

Mel looked down as she took off her apron. "…Yes."

Gene held out his hand. "Give it back."

Mel pouted. "But it's so warm."

"I can warm you up," Gene teased.

"…Are you trying to get me in bed again?" Mel asked.

"Yep," Gene answered. Two seconds later, the balled-up shirt landed in his palm. Mel then trotted around the bar to sit next to him, in front of her own plate. "Can we wait until after breakfast? I don't want our food to get cold," Mel asked.

"Well, as long as I get to enjoy the view," Gene replied. The two lovers shared a laugh. Meanwhile, the Outlaw Star prepared itself to return to Tiohara.

* * *

Leilong took stock of what he was facing. Two space force auto-attack drones surrounding him like the predators they were based on. Four gangbangers, training semi-automatic weapons at him. Another yet in a mechanical exo-suit, training his shoulder-mounted cannons at his vehicle. And to top it all off, two of the most infamous and feared independent mercenaries in the galaxy were leading the whole thing.

"I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting company," Ron continued as Harry cautiously approached the two newcomers. "If you came looking for someone to hire, look elsewhere. But if you two are with Starwind…" Ron paused as he loaded another caster shell into his weapon.

"And what would you two want with Starwind?" Leilong asked as pushed Mara behind him to escape from the leering eyes of the hired help.

"Me? Revenge. My brother? The girl," Ron explained as Harry continued to size up Leilong.

"Is that so?" Leilong replied. "Well, I can't say I would personally stop you from pursuing either. Can I ask if you have any business with the ship?" Leilong asked.

Ron cocked his head. "Well, personally I was planning on destroying it. A little retribution for the destruction of some of my property some time ago. Wait a minute, are you saying you were also hired to go after Starwind?"

"From the sounds of things," Leilong assessed. "We're here for business. You're here for pleasure. But right now, despite your awful attempt at a greeting, we have no reason to oppose one another." He remembered Saiyo's plea to him. He had agreed to protect Starwind, true, but from Eddie and Cade in particular. It was not in his interest to fight someone else's battles for them out of the kindness of his heart. He was no one's guardian angel.

"Hey, Ron," Harry finally spoke up, his vocal reverb catching the newcomers off guard. "I just finished my scan. You won't believe who the asshat in the blue tunic is."

Ron betrayed a smirk as Leilong felt his heart sink. "Well don't keep us in suspense, little brother, enlighten us."

"The last member of Hazanko's Anten. Meets twenty-four out of the twenty-six qualifying descriptors. And the bounty offered…" Harry let out a manic grin.

"Space Forces says all the higher-ups are dead. They aren't paying anything," Ron added.

"Not them. The Tendo King. We hand this guy over, we're on good terms with the Kei pirates for the rest of our lives."

Leilong dove for his pack, grabbing his saber in one hand and a grenade launcher in the other. The drones bristled and the gangbangers readied their guns. Attacking now and like this was tantamount to suicide. Then again, there would be little difference between this and being dragged to the Tendo King to answer for his desertion from the Guild and to take the blame for Hazanko's actions, simultaneously. To surrender or to fight, it mattered little to his fate.

"EVERYBODY HOLD IT!" Mara shrieked, putting herself in the firing line. "…Nobody needs to die today! I mean, look at us! We are all going after the same thing and we don't have to step on each other's toes to do it! We want the ship! You two want Starwind and that bio-android! Everyone can get what they want today while going through zero risk on ourselves!"

"Who the hell are you?" the lead gangster called out from his exo-suit.

"My name is Doctor Mara Morgan!" she exclaimed. "And I am here to offer you all… leverage!" she continued as she strolled to the trunk of the Ehefrau. "You want to make Starwind surrender without firing a shot, I got you the perfect way to make him agreeable! For the price of one… measly grappler ship, you all can get a guaranteed hold over everything you could want from that guy."

Harry's eyes narrowed towards Mara intently. "…Excuse me, ma'am. What did you say your name was, again?"

"Doctor Mara Morgan!" she exclaimed again, this time with pride.

"…That's not what the file I'm reading says," Harry replied.

Mara stared at the cyborg. "…What are you talking about?"

"According to this file, you're not a doctor anymore. It says you had your medical license revoked due to… huh… incriminating personal affiliations and undertaking actions unbefitting of a curative professional. Isn't that a mouthful?"

Leilong looked over to his partner. The confident aura she had previously presented had disintegrated. Now she was just glaring daggers at the blue-haired automaton. "And what else are you reading?" she hissed.

"…Well, would you look at that," Harry grinned. "Says here you have a personal bounty via a… vice-lord from Intersyn."

The gangbangers all glanced at one another. Intersyn was short for the Intergalactic Syndicate, a mafia-like group whose reach and influence extended throughout the stars. The space forces looked the other way, the pirates frequently dealt with them, and the outlaw respected and feared them in equal measure. Weapons, narcotics, information, and even sentient beings were all fair game for the organization. Naturally, they were rich, and if one of the vice-lords, their highest-ranking members, placed a bounty on your head, it would garner all kinds of attention.

Mara stared down the MacDougals as the gangsters all grinned and began moving towards her, only being held back by the hostile glances Leilong shot at them.

"Hey, hombre," the leader in the exo-suit called out to Ron as the gangsters began to fan around the hovercar. "Let's say we renegotiate. How's about, in addition to the new suit, we just take the chica for ourselves and call it even?"

Ron stroked his chin. "Well, that should save us some pocket money on my end. Harry, anything else you can tell me about the bounty?"

Harry's eye widened as his scanning of Mara completed. "…Oh," he let out a laugh. "I should have figured that wasn't your real name. Turns out your real name is…"

Leilong had heard enough. Firing his grenade launcher into the center of the group of thugs, the resulting shock from the blast and toxic fumes from the non-lethal round blinded most of their senses. Mara felt an arm grab ahold of her shoulder and shove her into the drivers seat of the hovercar. "Pick a direction and drive!" she heard Leilong shout as one of the drones made its move. Leilong dragged his saber along its flank as it tried to rush him, not managing to pierce the armor but allowing him enough time to separate himself from the melee. Leilong climbed into the back seat, pumping another round directly into the frame of the charging mech suit as Mara collected her wits and reactivated the car, slamming her foot on the accelerator.

As the gang-leader freed his arm to wipe away the fumes hurting his eyes, one peeked open to see the MacDougal's overseeing the fracas with a sense of wry amusement.

"You couldn't have jumped in or anything?!" the gangster howled.

"Collecting that bounty was your idea, friend," Ron gloated. "I don't see how it's my problem you let him get the jump on you."

The leader gritted. "…Fine then. Then how about I take that girl and whatever leverage she was talking about?"

"Now hold on, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ron began as he motioned Harry to ready their car. "There's only one place in the world where they can flee, that being the spaceport. You guys pursue, we cut them off, and in the end, we all ride off into the sunset happily ever after. Sounds good?" he asked.

The gangster growled. "I'll hold you to it, MacDougal. AMIGOS! Consigue el camion de plataforma!" he called out as his men scrambled.

Ron grinned as Harry pulled their air cruiser from around the corner. "Where did you hire these idiots?" Harry asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Local muscle, we can't be too picky these days, we're calling in more favors then we're making," Ron mildly complained.

"Still, an Intersyn bounty? That's not something you see every day," Harry grinned.

"Harry, one of these days you'll understand. Some fights aren't worth the trouble," Ron replied. "Let's just collect the leverage and leave the matones their piece of meat."

"Speaking of," Harry grinned. "You still interested in knowing who she is?"

* * *

Eddie navigated the sparse city while Cade rode in the back, trying to get into contact with Leilong and Mara. "Anything?" Eddie screamed over the engine. Cade didn't reply, prompting a snort of frustration from the driver. The speeder was a single-seat craft, but Cade was familiar with how to make unaccommodating spaces more manageable.

"Saiyo," Cade spoke into the communicator, keeping his balance as Eddie weaved around a (relatively) slow-moving truck, not even decreasing her speed as she gave the driver the finger.

"Cade, I'm tracking Leilong's position. He is leaving Starwind's office, heading to the spaceport. It looks like he's being pursued."

Cade narrowed his eyes. "How many mobile?"

"From where I'm standing, I see two single-seat speeders and one flatbed truck with… looks like power armor on the back. What in the…" Saiyo trailed off.

Cade snarled. Either the two had instigated a fight or, more likely, another factor unaccounted for had sidetracked the plan. All that work and Starwind wasn't even on the damn planet.

"Where is Mr. Howard?" Cade asked.

"He bailed as soon as we confirmed Ashur was inbound. I'm at the spaceport, working on procuring transport off-planet as we speak."

"What's up?" Eddie called back.

"We're going to have to bail out Leilong and Mara, then find another way off this rock," Cade hissed.

"God damn it!" she snarled. "They were supposed to have the easy job!"

"No complaining," Cade reprimanded.

"What? Me? I would never!" Eddie smiled. "I just hope our princess is ready to put out in return for our services. It is the least she owes us!"

"You are disgusting," Cade rolled his eyes.

"What, you've never been tempted? Even you can admit she is one fine piece of ass. Course, that isn't so surprising considering…"

"Can you focus?" Cade growled, annoyed. "And pull your brain out of your pants for five seconds without a fight involved?"

"But it gives me something to look forward to," Eddie pouted. "All I want to see is if reputation is hereditary."

"Ok, Eddie, I'll tell you what," Cade offered. "If you can solo every upcoming hostile without MY intervention, then I will arrange a hotel for me, you… and our dear Princess Mara."

Eddie's face turned around, her eyes lit up. "Really?!"

"Eyes on the road!" Cade scolded, prompting Eddie to regain control of the speeder in time to avoid an oncoming car.

"I mean, for the last two years… I never thought you were interested. I thought you were…" Eddie sputtered.

"I believe in a reward for a good job, Eddie," Cade patted her on the shoulder.

Eddie accelerated, manically grinning. A night with her best friend and the hottest bitch she knew? It was too good to be true.

"Take this next exit, it should let me intercept them as they come down the road," Cade replied.

"Oh, no you don't," Eddie laughed as she bucked the dividing wall, dropping down to the lower road. "I'm soloing these guys, remember?"

Cade blinked. She thought he was being serious. He growled internally, kicking himself for humoring her this one time. _Well, _he thought to himself as he propped his rifle on his shoulder, _it shall be a great opportunity to see how good she thinks she is._

* * *

Some distance away, a slender, pale arm dragged itself from the concrete ravine. As Suzuka pulled herself up to the top, she sprawled her body on the pavement, catching her breath as she struggled to get to her feet. She wanted nothing more than to find a nice hot bath and stay there for a week. Steadying herself, she noticed a commotion coming from a nearby alleyway.

On edge, she forced herself into the crowd, which thankfully disbursed from her thanks to her newfound odor. Getting to the center, she found the object of their fascination writhing on the ground before them, letting out choking gasps for air as she clawed at her throat.

"Hang on, Aisha, I'm coming!" Suzuka announced as she approached her. Aisha took a brief moment to register Suzuka's smell, wrinkling her nose as the assassin picked her up and wrapped her arms around her torso. "On three?" Suzuka offered. "One."

She heaved her arms into the other woman's gut, dislodging the parasite from most of Aisha's throat. The crowd groaned in disgust as Aisha grabbed the Shredi-Gup by the tail and yanked it from her mouth. The blood-covered fish dangled and flapped about in a panic, up until Aisha threw it on the ground and promptly crushed it with a nearby trashcan.

"You alright, Aisha?" Suzuka asked. Aisha turned to look at her, her shoulders heaving up and down. Not only had she been in serious pain for quite some time, but according to Ctarl-Ctarl tradition, she had undergone one of the worst insults a proud warrior could endure. The Shredi-Gup was a painful parasite, but apart from very young or infirm Ctarl-Ctarl, it was unlikely to cause lethal consequences. Rather, the pest-fish was usually reserved for particularly mean-spirited pranks by less scrupulous members of the Ctarl-Ctarl military.

"We need to get back in contact with Jim. Tell him that those guys are still out there," Suzuka stated as she once again parted the crowd. Aisha tried to respond, but with her throat still raw, she was only able to nod. She then realized she wasn't exactly dressed to go anywhere. Or at all.

Suzuka realized the predicament as well. "Fair point," she relented. Scanning the crowd, she noticed one particularly husky individual wearing a poncho.

"Excuse me, sir," Suzuka began. "Would you be willing to part with that fine looking cover you are wearing?"

"What's in it for me?" the individual asked, eyeing Aisha up and down in a sleazy manner. Aisha grinned, slowly approached the individual, and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease.

"The opportunity to prevent a bad day from getting worse," Suzuka offered.

* * *

Mara kept her eyes on the road, doing her very best to ignore the rounds being peppered off the car and from Leilong's light shield. Her only escape was getting back to Mr. Howard's ship and getting off this wretched planet forever. No more Ashur, no more bounty, no more Eddie, none of it. Empty-handed or not, today had been a complete wash. She was beginning to miss her old back-alley rat's nest, it looking more and more like home as this day insisted on continuing.

Leilong had his hands full preventing the thugs from damaging the car or nicking the driver, hostage, or himself. The two speeders flanking them were bad enough. The exo-suit in the back of the pursuing flatbed made things even more complicated. By focusing entirely on the defensive, his actions were limited. All he needed was one opening.

Even over the cacophony of everything, somehow he could hear her before he had even seen her. Announcing her presence by side-swiping the nearest speeder bike, Eddie had reconnected with the rest of her team on the road to the spaceport. Pulling alongside the hovercar, Cade dismounted into the speeding vehicle, jostling alongside Leilong as he brought his rifle to bear.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Eddie shrieked as she positioned herself behind the Ehefrau. "I REMEMBER THE DEAL!" she screamed as she began overcharging her stun batons, holding them both to her sides as she dropped them behind her. They both struck the pursuing bikers, the surge through their bodies knocking them out instantly as they were both flung from their speeders. The leader in the exo-suit let out a series of curses directed towards Eddie. She looked into Mara's rearview mirror and gave a wink, before ducking back and driving her speeder under the flatbed.

"EDDIE!" Leilong screamed as she disappeared under the flatbed, the speeder tumbling behind the truck to join the other ruined two. Mara felt a pang of shock she did not expect to feel. Cade snorted as he crawled to the front passenger's seat, knowing full well Eddie was crawling to the truck's cabin before she actually managed to pry open the passenger door and emptied an entire clip into two of the remaining thugs. Mr. Exo-suit could only scream in frustration as his quarry while his own vehicle began to slow down, which only turned to shrieks of terror as Eddie launched herself upon the man himself. The suit itself was neigh invulnerable to most conventional weapons, but the pilot itself was not, as Eddie began to demonstrate with her knife.

"Well… she seems… motivated…" Mara finally exhaled, averting her gaze from the grisly scene in her rear-view.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Cade responded.

"…What did you do?" Mara began to ask, nervously.

"Nothing, just keep driving," Cade insisted.

Leilong finally collapsed in the backseat, his body sprawled across his pack and Mara's case. "As every day passes, I begin to feel my age more and more," he complained.

"Oh, come on," Mara replied as she pulled off the exit. "You don't look a day over fifty-five."

Leilong glanced towards the woman. "…I'm forty-six."

Mara blushed as Cade snickered. "Well, what can you expect? I don't know anything about you!"

"Seems we have that in common," Leilong said as he positioned himself between the backseat cargo. "…You mind letting me in on what happened back there?"

Mara began to bite her lip as Cade began scanning the horizon. "…How can I know I can trust you?" she asked.

"You can't. That's how trust works," Leilong replied. "Listen, Mara, my past isn't squeaky-clean, either. I can promise you I will not be judgmental, that much I can guarantee you."

Mara took a breath as the spaceport grew closer. She glanced over at Cade, who only stared ahead, not making eye contact. Cade knew the full story, hell, he had basically co-written some of the more recent chapters. She looked back at Leilong, who had been true to his word all throughout their short time together. Intersyn be damned, this might be her only shot.

"…Leilong, I'm…"

A feline auto-drone suddenly appeared next to the hovercar, turning towards the craft as it began to open fire. Leilong had readied his light-shield once more, blocking the incoming fire as Cade mounted his rifle across Mara's seat. He loaded in a bullet he selected from his belt.

"That thing a caster?" Leilong asked as he strained against the barrage.

"Those antiques?" Cade scoffed. "I custom built this thing myself. And that goes for the ammo, too."

The shot rang out, causing Mara's ears to ring as Leilong watched a chunk of the auto weapons "head" blew off its skull. It caused the thing to stumble momentarily, but the sparking burn erupting from the wound brought it to a halt.

The weapon's partner had taken the opportunity to try and leap into the car from the opposite direction, hoping to take its prey off guard. Leilong responded by intercepting it via a saber slash to its gut, exposing its innards to the muzzle of a grenade launcher as he fired a round into its body, launching the weapon away before it exploded. Its chassis was strong enough to keep the blast internal as its carcass was dumped behind the hovercar.

"Well, Eddie, I guess that's tough luck for you," Cade stated as he sat back in his seat.

"So you did make a deal with her!" Mara screamed as her hearing returned. "And I bet you tried to get me involved with it too, you bastard!"

"Well, if Eddie had been here with us, I might have had to keep that bargain. She had to solo all the hostiles on her own, that was our agreement. And you know I always keep my word, Mara," Cade glanced over at her. Mara couldn't even make eye contact. If she had, she might be tempted to crash into the nearest barrier in an attempt to take out the prideful son of a bitch. Then she noticed the car approaching them head-on from the desert road. Her eyes widened as Leilong's narrowed. "Crafty bastards, those MacDougals," Leilong muttered under his breath. Cade's eyes widened in surprise. "Ron MacDougal? Here?"

The blue-haired cyborg stood up in the passenger seat, aiming his assault rifle towards the approaching hovercar. Firing off some bursts, he penetrated the hood, forcing the car to grind to a halt as Mara only just managed to weave around to avoid a collision.

The MacDougal's air cruiser gracefully came to a halt right behind the exhausted remains of the Ehefrau.

"Are you two hurt?" Leilong asked. Mara shook her head as Cade got to work prying his rifle from between the seats. "Let me handle these guys," Leilong growled as he jumped from the hovercar. Mara tried to restart the engine while Cade got on the communicator.

"Saiyo, are you there? Do you read?"

"What's happening? What's with that commotion just outside the landing pads? I can't get a visual on you guys."

"Never mind that," Cade responded. "Tell me, do you have visual on a gold, diamond-shaped grappler ship?"

Leilong approached the opposing car as Harry vaulted from the passenger's seat while his elder brother leisurely strolled from the driver's side.

"You know, I expected today to be a good day, what with getting some long-overdue revenge and helping my brother reunite with his beloved, but the chance to turn in the last surviving member of the 108 stars and a member of Intersyn royalty? Today just finds a way to keep looking up. Only way this can get better is another shot at the damn Leyline," Ron grinned.

Leilong gritted his teeth as he watched Ron take out his caster, unable to move without Harry opening up on him. Attacking one brother would risk reprisal from the other, and he had no method attacking both at the same time. This was a stalemate, a real old-fashioned Old Western stand-off. And the last thing anyone needed was for someone to complicate it.

"Hey, Ron!" Cade exclaimed as he vaulted over the wreaked hovercar, casually approaching the elder MacDougal, only to stop as Harry pointed his rifle towards the sniper. "Whoa, easy there!" Cade tried to placate with a casual tone of voice Leilong would have been less surprised to hear from a rattlesnake. He glanced at Mara, who was staring at Cade like he had grown five extra legs and started tap-dancing.

"I just wanted to say hey, how have you been?" Cade shrugged. "It's been a while."

"…Do I know you?" Ron asked.

"Do you… Oh, right!" Cade pulled down his facemask. "Now?"

"…No," Ron shook his head.

"Nocturne Ordo Prime… Four years ago… That merchant cargo ship… what was its name?" Cade pondered.

"…The _Jademarsh_," Ron recollected, remembering how hectic that particular job was. He'd been hired as extra muscle for a raid against a very imposing convoy. A bunch of outlaws had undertaken the job, but the bulk of the raid had been led by a man named Silas Absalom. Better known as Silas "Heartless" Absalom.

"Wait, don't tell me you're one of Absalom's guys," Ron exclaimed.

"No, not anymore. Had to go independent, like you," Cade continued.

"I didn't think he accepted resignations," Ron mused.

"Hard to deny anything when you're dead," Cade replied.

Ron looked towards Cade. "…You're serious? Silas is dead? What happened?"

Cade smiled.

Ron's eyes widened in horror. "…You're bluffing. You have to be. By yourself? Who are you trying to fool?!"

Harry groaned in frustration. "Ron, I'm getting sick of all this yammering!" he complained. "Let's just waste these fools and get ready for Starwind!" he exclaimed as he prepared to fire his rifle.

"HARRY, NO!" Ron called out.

Before Harry even had time to respond, five shots from a magnum revolver pummeled into his shoulder. His hardened frame, a personal request to the body's maker, could endure most small arms fire no worse for wear. What it couldn't endure was five high-caliber rounds hitting the exact same impact area. The final bullet ripped out of the back of his right shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon as he fell to the ground in shock, though not pain.

"What the-?!" Harry sputtered as he stared at his ruined arm. "How…"

Cade turned to Ron, smiling slightly as he holstered his magnum. "How many people in the galaxy can dismember a top of the line cyborg frame with an old fashioned slug-thrower? Five shots, one wound. Sounds like anyone familiar?"

Ron watched as his brother felt the ruined shoulder with his undamaged arm. He stared down Cade and Leilong as Mara finally surrendered trying to revive the car. "…You talk a big game, and to an extent, you can back it up," Ron admitted. "So what's your angle? You trying to be what he was? Some kind of outlaw king?" Ron jeered.

"Please," Cade snorted. "I'm not some violent hedonist like Absalom, and I'm not some fanciful idealist like Callaway."

"So what do you want?" Ron asked.

A flatbed truck began barreling towards the standoff. Eddie leaned her torso out of the window, trying to line up a shot with the MacDougal brothers. Ron had readied his caster gun, he had the best angle and perfect shell to detonate that hunk of junk and incinerate the driver. That was when he felt the bullet slam into his kidney. As his knees buckled, he turned around just in time to see Cade rush him with a hatchet, swinging it low to compound the previous wound. Harry intercepted the swing with his working arm, glaring daggers of hate into his low-life scoundrel who shot his brother in the back. As he heard the machine pistol begin to spit rounds, however, he immediately rushed to cover his brother, taking the full brunt of the drive-by assault as the truck pulled up alongside the quarrelers.

"Next stop, anywhere but here!" Eddie yelled as Leilong was the first to mount up on the back, barely hiding his disgust with Cade's actions. Mara was about to follow until she realized something and went to the trunk. Popping it open, she dragged an unconscious blond twelve-year-old from the back of the car and towards the flatbed. Eddie stared at her the entire time as she did. "Who the living hell is that?!" she yelled. "Leverage!" Mara screamed back as she rolled his body onto the flatbed.

"Initiating conscious-preservation shutdown," Harry's body announced before deactivating. It was entering an emergency reboot cycle, a response to harsh trauma that would safeguard his mind in the event of catastrophic damage. Harry would get back up, eventually. As Ron felt his blood spill out, he noticed a shadow passing over him.

"…What I want is your ship," Cade admitted. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, really. I consider myself a huge fan of your work. You truly are something of a hero of mine," Cade rattled off to Ron as he stared up in disbelief.

"I'll tell you what. Come to the Carnival, and we will all get what we want. Their ship for your ship. Fair enough?" Cade asked as Ron glared at the sniper. He could only watch as Cade climbed onto the back of the truck as it drove away from the wounded MacDougal's.

* * *

"Entering Tiohara orbit within fifteen minutes. I would advise preparing sub-orbital landing procedures at this time," Gilliam announced as Gene leisurely strolled into the cockpit. Mel followed, having thrown on her own usual sleepwear following the final round of lovemaking between her and Gene.

Gene looked behind her. "Hey, Mel, don't you think it's a little funny to bother throwing on clothes when it's just the two of us? I mean, you don't wear them to work and I certainly don't care if you go all-natural," he grinned.

Mel grinned in return. "But Gene, what about Gilliam? I doubt he'd want to see us in all our glory."

"Your concern is misplaced," Gilliam interjected. "My primary concerns of appearance are limited to that of proper hygiene and sanitation."

Gene groaned in frustration at Gilliam's deliberate obtuseness as Mel sank into her chamber. As Gene sat in the captain's chair, he thought about what Mel had said about Jim. _Guess I have been kind of neglecting you, little partner,_ Gene thought to himself._ Tell you what, I think you've earned yourself a week off. If anyone deserved a full-fledged vacation, it's you, little buddy._

"Oh, this is most unusual," Gilliam spoke up.

"What's the situation, Gilliam?" Gene asked as Melfina's chamber opened.

"It appears that there is a bit of an uproar at the local docking facility. A ship is forcing a launch despite the insistence of mission control."

"What? No!" Gene breathed. "They can't do that! That's our bit!" he continued as Melfina giggled.

"I'm picking up chatter and it appears… oh my goodness, it's a hijacking," Gilliam announced.

Gene cracked his knuckles. "Well, let's move to intercept, maybe we can end up getting a heroes discount for parking," he joked.

"The ship is entering our bow camera view," Melfina announced. "Putting on screen now. It's…" Melfina gasped.

Gene watched as the Shangri-La escaped the atmosphere of Tiohara. At two thousand kilometers away, he watched as the ship entered sub-ether drive dangerously close to the planet, forcing several smaller ships coming in to vacate their landings to avoid getting caught in the residual energy.

"Gene, that was…" Mel began as Gene began dialing into the office.

"Jim, pick up!" Gene spoke into the line. "Suzuka, answer the phone! Aisha, tell me what's going on. Someone. Anyone!" he began to panic as he received no response. "TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!


	8. Vendetta

_The final battle of Callaway's War occurred near the area known as the Black Ether Sea. Here, Jacob Callaway's rag-tag coalition of renegades caught a Ban Pirate armada off guard, attacking them before they discovered the Carnival's location. In one of the bloodiest battles in frontier space, five Ban captains were killed, and another three taken hostage, before finally culminating in the death of Ban admiral Rodger Thatch. This battle was instrumental in securing Jacob Callaway's victory over the Ban Guild and was a key event in the legends of many famous outlaws who fought with distinction, such as Omar Santiago, Lazarus Tanner, Silas Absalom, Diana Rex, Butch MacDougal, Jules Aurelius, and Solomon Huckebein, the last of whom was rumored to have personally boarded the Ban flagship and killed Admiral Thatch._

Chapter 8: Vendetta

_Initiating reactivation protocol_

Harry jolted back to life in shock. He quickly assessed his surroundings. They were fast approaching the freeway, the morning sun was creeping above the horizon, and he was still missing his right arm, which wasn't so much missing considering it was sitting in his lap. He saw he was sitting in the passenger's seat of the air cruiser, and heard some coughing to his left.

"Nice to see you awake," Ron tried to smile as he turned towards the freeway.

Harry looked down, and saw that his brother had tried to dress his wound. Ron always brought a med-kit in the event of an emergency, and from the looks of it had wrapped his wound tightly with every last stitch of gauze in the pack. It was still leaking through. Harry assessed that at the very least, Ron had lost a kidney. He briefly began to scan his brother.

"That isn't necessary," Ron scolded as he spat up some blood.

"Ron… your vitals are…" Harry began.

"Fine," Ron lied as he almost lost consciousness, jolting himself up as he avoided sideswiping a passing truck.

"…Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to call in a few more favors, maybe some loans, and then we are getting another ship and we are driving to that godforsaken Carnival and we are going to wring the life out of that cheap-shooting piece of-" Ron began slamming his fist into his wound to keep himself conscious.

"RON!" Harry screamed. "STOP DRIVING! PLEASE!"

"I AM NOT LETTING THOSE BASTARDS STEAL DAD'S SHIP IF I CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" Ron roared back.

"YOU CAN'T!" Harry shrieked back, his voice reverbing in its intensity.

Ron had to pull over, vacating some of the blood in his throat over the side of the car. "…That shot should have killed you. If you don't get that treated immediately, Ron, you will die, and those idiots win," Harry tried to placate his elder brother.

Ron rested his head against the wheel. As bad as the gunshot was, the most pain Ron felt was in the wound to his ego. He had been building his reputation for years, eliminating every setback and obstacle he had encountered at his leisure until about a year ago. Now, Ron saw his story close to concluding prematurely. Harry wasn't wrong, survival was paramount. But he didn't have to be thrilled about it.

"…I'm going to Chief Morales. We are going to lay low, then we make our move when I'm ready for it," Ron offered.

"With all due respect, Ron," Harry looked to his wounded arm. "I can reattach this thing myself in an hour. I can go after those guys sooner, and I can make them pay."

"By yourself?" Ron asked, incredulously. "Harry, those three guys all know how to fight. They'll tear you apart if you go after them alone!"

"…I won't," Harry replied.

Ron stared at him, confused. "…Harry…"

Harry stared back at his older brother. "I can do this."

"You can't be serious," Ron shook his head.

"We are out of better options," Harry coaxed.

"He'll kill you the first moment he has a chance!" Ron yelled as his wound acted up again.

"Then we all lose together," Harry gritted his teeth.

* * *

The Shangri-La exited ether-space, and Saiyo finally let out an exhale as he eased the throttle. "By the skin of our damn teeth," he muttered to himself. As far as escapes went, that made Gehenna look like a beach-side stroll. With Strum Korps hot on their trail, any distance they could put between themselves and those mercenaries was worth its weight in dragonite.

Leilong strolled into the cockpit as Saiyo rose up to crack his back. "That was some impressive handiwork back there. Didn't take you for a ship-jacker," Leilong began.

Saiyo grinned. "Why do you think they locked me up?"

Leilong laughed in response. "Fair point."

"How are the others?" Saiyo asked he initiated the auto-pilot.

"Cade is taking a nap, Mara is checking up on our guest, and Eddie is…" Leilong hesitated.

"Being Eddie?" Saiyo suggested.

"Pretty much," Leilong shrugged. "Where did you find these guys, anyway?"

"I didn't," Saiyo shook his head. "They are Howard's guys. Dr. Morgan apparently owes Mr. Howard a significant favor, and the other two were something of a package deal," he explained.

"That reminds me," Leilong said as he looked back. "She made me an offer too."

"You too?" Saiyo grinned. "It's kind of a habit with her. She gave me the same spiel not long after meeting me. She dropped it when I figured it involved me getting between her and the Pact and told her no thank you."

"The Pact?" Leilong asked.

"That's Eddie and Cade's business name," Saiyo explained. "It's what the Carnival calls them."

"That's where we are going, then?" Leilong asked.

"That's the general plan," Saiyo admitted. "Mr. Howard has a deal with Jacob Callaway that should give us safe harbor until we figure out how we are going to proceed from here."

"Unless Starwind takes issue with us kidnapping his crewmember and comes looking to get him back," Leilong countered.

"That would be suicidal for him," Saiyo replied. "Remember, the Carnival defeated the Ban Guild so badly they signed an honest to god peace treaty with a bunch of low-life outlaws. If Gene Starwind comes in looking for a fight, he's going to get more than he bargained for."

"Wouldn't that save us some trouble?" Leilong asked.

"Mr. Howard wants the ship. I don't want Starwind to die," Saiyo answered. "I can't stop him from getting himself killed, but if I can keep those animals from sinking their teeth into him, I'd consider that a victory."

Leilong nodded. After having seen those two in action, he understood Saiyo's hesitance. Eddie was able to keep up with Twilight Suzuka on even terms, which to Leilong seemed impressive considering how he increasingly felt his own victory over her felt more and more like a fluke. As for Cade, he somehow managed to overpower a Ctarl-Ctarl during a full moon, and then casually defeated a legendary outlaw. _Defeated, _Leilong sneered to himself. _Bastard shot the man in the back. Even I think that's just low._ Leilong wasn't sure he was impressed by his new partners, but by now there was one thing he could certainly not dispute. The Pact was, undoubtedly, the most dangerous thing on this ship.

* * *

Jim remembered a time about a year ago, before their meeting with Hilda. He remembered a night at Clyde's bar, having tracked Gene down there after trying to get in contact with him. They were scheduled to meet with a client in the morning, but Gene had been busy with other things, as usual. He remembered seeing his older brother passed out over a booth while Clyde was arguing with an annoyed call girl over who was paying for what. As he threw Gene over his shoulder and began to drag his partner slowly out of the bar, Jim asked himself what getting blackout drunk must feel like. Suddenly, he felt like he knew.

Groggily, he fluttered his eyes open. He was in a cargo hold, clearly, but something about it was off. It wasn't the Outlaw Star, for one. Having spent so much time there, he could practically identify it on sight, ranging from the dimensions of the architecture to the hue of the paint. Then he heard the muffled voices outside.

"…dragging his ass in here like that. You always find some way to surprise me, doc! You may very well be rent-a-thug material just yet!"

"Shut the hell up, Eddie! I didn't have a choice!"

"From what I understand, you only had to knock him out. You _chose_ to put a certified midget in the trunk of his own car, and you _chose_ to haul his ass with us for the duration of this little job. Don't get me wrong, doc, it's a great decision! I completely approve!"

"Eddie, just stop. I'm not… I didn't want it to come to this…"

"And yet here we are! We got us another mouth to feed, but I am nothing if not generous. And, well, if he's too much of a hassle, you could always use your old connections and…"

Jim heard a stinging blow from the other side of the doorway. It was another thing he was familiar with, hearing it every time Gene didn't take the hint from a woman immune to his charms.

"…I love it when you get rough with me, Doc."

"DIE IN A FIRE, EDDIE!" the other voice shrieked as it stormed away. Jim caught his breath in his throat. He had just woken up in an unfamiliar place, after having seen a ghost he thought was dead. He was not supposed to be in this situation. Every instinct told him to panic. _Don't worry,_ Jim told himself. _The cavalry is just around the corner._

Then he heard someone typing on a keypad. Jim shifted around, looking for somewhere to hide. He felt his wrists locked together behind him, which would further hinder his mobility in an attempt to escape. Plan B it was. He cast his head down and shut his eyes, going limp.

The door opened, and he heard two boots approaching him. "…Still out like prom girl in a dive bar," the voice spoke. "Now, let's see how she tied you down."

Jim felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him forward as his guest looked behind him. "Tsk-tsk, I was expecting something fluffier." She released his shoulder and set him back. "Now, Midget, what are we going to do with you? I mean, it's not like you have any information I need, so any attempts at torture would be useless and purely for my amusement. Speaking of entertainment, maybe I could get some recording equipment and make a few vignettes to send to Scarface. Really tug the heartstrings, y'know. Or maybe when I finally wear down Doc's defensiveness and stops denying the fact that she can't resist me, you could hold the camera. Beats asking Cade over and over again," she continued to talk to herself.

As Jim heard the girl pace, he stole a peek upwards at one of his captors. She was pretty tall, just a bit shorter than Gene or Suzuka. She was nursing a bright red mark on her cheek, and she was wearing all black. _She looks like someone trying too hard, _Jim thought to himself. That was when he recognized her as the girl who singled out Suzuka and fought her one on one. He got back into character before she turned down to look at him. "You hear me, Midget?" She lightly kicked his feet, but Jim kept pretending to be limp. "…I'm not a bear, there's really nothing stopping me from eating you."

Reluctantly, Jim turned to look up at his captor. Her blue eyes bore into him as she joined him on the floor, sitting cross-legged across from him. She looked him up and down. "…You know, for a midget, you have pretty good skin. You also don't do a bad job shaving, I don't even see a five o'clock shadow, so color me impressed.

Jim cocked his eyebrow towards the girl. "…Are you being serious right now?" he asked.

"I mean, short guys usually find themselves stuck with the short end of the stick," Eddie continued. "So to speak. Then again, maybe your babyface is why you got billed on the building, sort of disarms the clientele while Scarface does… whatever he does for the business. Bet you get shafted with the paperwork, huh?"

Jim chose his response carefully. "…Like you wouldn't believe. You would think the legal adult would be eager to be the responsible one, but…"

"Wait, hold up!" Eddie interrupted. "Legal… how old are you?"

"…Twelve…" Jim stated.

"…For real?" Eddie balked. "I thought that was just some typo. You legit haven't even hit puberty yet?"

Jim blushed as he looked to the side. "I don't see why that's relevant."

"You are telling me Mara went out of her way to drug and kidnap a twelve-year-old kid?!" Eddie began. "That bitch! And Leilong just went along with it? What a tool!"

Eddie rose to her feet. "Probably gave him an excessive amount of lip-service to bring him on board. Heh-heh. "Lip service." Get it?" she asked Jim.

Jim just stared at her. "Nevermind," she shook her head. "I'm letting Cade know about this. He'll know what to do."

"Who's Cade?" Jim asked.

"He's that guy who fired a blank round at Mara, oh sorry, _Andrea's _head when you left that crappy bar," Eddie explained.

"The one Suzuka cut in half?" Jim added.

"Suzu… Oh right, Rice Bitch!" Eddie exclaimed. "Yeah, not going to lie. That bullet slice was pretty badass. Sucks that she can't conduct electricity real well but…" Eddie shrugged. "What can you do?"

Jim suddenly began to panic. "What happened to them?"

Eddie noticed and struggled to think of something to say. "…I was working off stun. I really doubt I did anything fatal. Most likely."

"…Why?" Jim had to ask.

Eddie bit her lip. "…We just want the ship. As soon as we make contact, we'll make a deal and send you on your way in no time," she tried to placate.

"…Couldn't you have at least tried to make us an offer first?" Jim asked.

"I don't know, I'm not the guy running the operation. I'm just the muscle!" Eddie complained.

"EDDIE!" a different voice called from down the hallway.

"Hang on, I'll be back in a minute," Eddie mentioned offhandedly as she left storage and rounded the corner. "Cade, I'm so happy you came. Listen, that guy in there is literally a kid! I think…"

"How many times to I have to tell you to quit antagonizing Mara?" the other voice hissed.

"That bitch literally kidnapped a child!" Eddie replied.

"…So?"

"…It's… she… I…"

"We aren't paid to be nice, Eddie. Or to think. We are here to secure a grappler ship, nothing else. Just this morning you were gung-ho about wiping out the entire crew, and all of a sudden some prepubescent has you having second thoughts? You are better than this, Eddie."

"But D-…!"

Jim heard another impact, this time something much harder, more metallic. He saw Eddie's head slide back into view, this time nursing her temple as a shadow hovered over her. "…I'm sorry, Cade. It won't happen again, Cade. I know better then to share that information, CADE!" Eddie enunciated after every sentence as she punctuated each with the stranger's name. The shadow holstered something back on his belt. "…Keep a deck apart from Mara at all times. And stop fraternizing with the hostage."

"Yes, Cade," Eddie whispered, defeated. She picked herself and walked away, shooting one last apologetic look at Jim before leaving his vision.

Then he appeared in the doorframe. The black-clad rider, the one who took on Aisha and survived. He stared at Jim with cold, dead eyes. Wordlessly, he shut the door to the cargo hold with no fanfare.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN "LOCKDOWN!" Gene snarled over the phone as he angrily paced the office. He had barely arrived home two hours ago, and he had been spending most of it playing grab-ass with some spaceport bureaucrats regarding launch clearance and information about a recent takeoff. They had been giving him the runaround ever since he set foot on the planet, explaining that a private security firm had overridden the local authorities on the matter and that there was nothing they could do.

Melfina was inconsolable. Ever since learning the news, she had been beside herself. Aisha sat beside her, patting her back and trying to comfort her, though her damaged throat made the notion difficult. All she could do was listen as Melfina sobbed into her hands, blaming herself for what happened, and all Aisha could do was stroke her hair and rub her shoulders.

Suzuka reentered the office, wearing a bathrobe after having finished her shower. "Anything?" she looked towards Aisha as Gene entered another screaming fit. Aisha shook her head. Suzuka closed her eyes. It didn't take long after the two reunited for them to realize something was wrong. There was no sign of either Jim or the client, so it stood to reason that another member of their assailants had prepared another ambush once Aisha and Suzuka were separated. They had all walked into a trap, and only now had they become wiser to the scheme.

"WELL, NEXT TIME ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS GETS ABDUCTED, I HOPE THE GUYS YOU COUNT ON ARE JUST AS HELPFUL AS YOU!" Gene roared as he slammed the phone back on the receiver, letting out a violent curse as the call concluded.

Gene turned to look at Suzuka, who had the misfortune of becoming the first target of his ire. "Nice to see you finally took your shower. Maybe now you'll try to be helpful," he spat venomously.

"Forgive me, it is hard to think clearly when I smell like a sewer," Suzuka replied, ignoring his sarcasm.

"You know, I kind of envy you. Must be nice to not give a damn about someone who just got kidnapped," he snapped.

Aisha turned to look up at Gene, growling in disapproval, while Melfina just buried her face into her hands and just wanted everything to go back to normal.

"…You're upset with me. Fine. I get it. You want the truth, I feel horrible about what happened. It's my fault he got kidnapped. It was Aisha's as well. And yours," Suzuka stated, plainly. "We may have failed, but at least we were here."

Gene wanted to strangle Suzuka, but as she usually did, she cut right to the heart of the matter, in this case, Gene's anger. As furious as he was, most of it came from guilt. The driving thought in his mind was that Jim was missing because he wasn't here.

"But, if we want to be constructive, I'd say we focus our blame on the perpetrators," Suzuka offered. "And spend less time throwing a tantrum," she stared down Gene dispassionately. "…Or feeling sorry for ourselves," she said as she turned to Mel, who had finally taken a moment to use Aisha's new poncho as a tissue, her tears finally beginning to peter out.

Gene took a breath. "…So what do we do?"

Suzuka thought for a moment. "We head back to that tavern and see if anyone wants to talk. Baring that, we make them talk."

"Screw that," Gene huffed. "I say we head to the spaceport and take the information there."

"Oh?" Suzuka replied. "…You think you're skilled enough to break into the spaceport database?"

"…I…I think I could do it," A small voice piped up. Wiping her nose, Melfina finally rose from the couch and approached the two. "…J-Jim has been showing me how to h-h-handle his software. If G-Gilliam helps me, I think I can get in," she mumbled softly.

"Mel, that's… very brave of you," Gene rested a hand on her shoulder. "If this goes wrong, we could all get into some big trouble. Those spaceport guys seemed real nervous about these Strum Korps people."

"I don't care what happens to me!" Mel shook her head. "Just as long as I know Jim is OK! He'd… he'd do the same for me," she looked up at Gene.

"…Yeah," Gene nodded as he pulled her close. "Damn right we would."

As Gene, Suzuka, and Melfina retreated to the second floor to properly plan out how the heist would go, Aisha found herself guarding the front office. Aisha growled at her treatment as a common security guard, but now wasn't the time to complain about the mismanagement of her Ctarl-Ctarl military prowess. If she could talk, she could have planned out the very finest operation this Terran planet had ever seen. They'd have broken into the security room, disabled all countermeasures, stolen so much data the police wouldn't even know where to start and left the planet before they even could!

As she lay on the couch and began fantasizing about caving in the skull of the black-clad rider, she noticed someone knocking on the door. Aisha groaned. If it was the owner of the shop across the street, Aisha had no way of explaining to him that she had no knowledge of why there was a large gaping hole in his storefront. No, they didn't have enough money on hand for repairs. No, they didn't know what happened. No, Aisha wasn't going to flash him, either. Once was enough today, and that was mostly to convince the cabby to tolerate Suzuka's sewage odor.

Growling at the knocker's persistence, Aisha stormed up to the doorway, ready to hiss the intruder away. As she flung the door open, she was taken by surprise as the man forced his way inside, brushing past her with strength not found in the average Terran. Unwilling to accept defeat, Aisha tackled him to the ground, wrestling with him as he tried to drag his way further inside.

Upstairs, the commotion was noticed. Gene and Suzuka both glanced at one another as they went for their weapons. "Do you think they're back?" Melfina asked nervously.

"I don't know. Just stay…" Gene paused. "…Stay behind me," he pushed Melfina to his back, not wanting to risk having to leave her alone.

Suzuka took point with Gene training his pistol on her shoulder, Melfina bringing up the rear by grasping onto Gene's shirt. Making their way downstairs, they saw Aisha wrestling down a skinny young man and exerting herself a lot more than she felt she should have had to.

"Get off of me, you damn animal!" the reverbed voice called out as Aisha managed to secure an armbar. Aisha just hissed in response. The man growled as he saw three sets of feet approaching him. Looking up, he saw an ebony wooden blade stop just before his eyes. He looked up and saw Twilight Suzuka staring him down. And the other two behind her looked like they had just seen a ghost.

"…How?" Gene asked as he lowered his gun.

"Harry?" Melfina squeaked.

Harry couldn't help himself but lock eyes with Melfina. Immediately, his mind thought about the future they were supposed to have together. He thought about how Hazanko and Gene had ruined it, both too blind and stuck up their own asses to see what true love looked like. He felt his hatred for Gene return long before the gun was stuck in his face.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO JIM?!" Gene howled. "ANSWER ME, GODDAMN IT!"

The machine part of his brain forced Harry to rationalize the situation. He remembered why he came here, why he had spent so long forcing his arm back into his socket while Ron's "friends" on the police force took him to a secret medical facility. Harry took special care to remind them that if anything happened to his brother, he would personally hunt down each and everyone in the precinct. He would have Melfina, and he would gut Gene Starwind, but now was neither the time nor place.

"I know what happened to your friend!" Harry got out. "I know who took him. And I know where they are going!"

* * *

Mr. Howard rubbed his eyes as Chauncey finished rattling off his report. Strum Korps had seized most of his public assets and quite a few of his private ones. They currently were asking around questions at some of his old social clubs, though it would be unlikely that they would garner anything that could be interpreted as useful information. Mr. Howard had slowly but surely ceased to matter as time had gone on, all that mattered was the work. Only those who understood that were of any consequence.

Mr. Howard had thrown away uncounted millions in his attempt to uncover the Pre-Ethereal's last secret. And the XGP was integral to discovering it. And to think some people thought that the Galactic Leyline was the only thing that mattered. There was so much more to the universe than an archival machine god, fantastic as its artistry had been. But most people could only look at power like that and think about how it would benefit themselves. Mr. Howard was interested in sculpting the shape of the galaxy. Ether was the greatest energy source in the galaxy, a conduit for magic and space travel, and it was becoming more and more finite as time went on. Once Mr. Howards plan was successful, he would once again become the father of a new era.

Johnny poked his head down to the meeting room. "Boss," he rumbled. "We gots a transmitty from that female you hates. Says she's in a forgiving-like mood. Gots a deal, case you innersted."

"Thank you, Mr. Anslou. Mr. Chauncey, I believe that will be it for today," he bowed at his elderly Silgrian assistant, who bowed in turn and began packing up the materials.

"Transmit the message to the living area. Provide me a drink when you can. A strong one, preferably," Mr. Howard told the Saurian as he passed him.

Five minutes later, brandy in hand, Mr. Howard awaited the Intersyn message. Rubbing his temples, he selected the play option on his console as he kicked his feet up. The message showcase the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, her caramel skin, gorgeous hair, and voluptuous body on generous display from her low-cut, form-fitting gown. A weaker man might look at this and forget that the woman before him had built her empire on misery, if they didn't flat out disregard it.

"Mr. Howard. Phil," the woman spoke with such a sweet aura that the desperate would pledge fealty towards her simply for the promise of having their mere name on her lips. "You wound me. You have something I want and refuse to give back."

Mr. Howard downed a shot of brandy as the woman shifted on her pillowed throne. "It is a cruel thing you are doing, Mr. Howard. Stepping between a mother and her flesh and blood. She isn't yours, Phil. You know that. The rest of Intersyn wants you dead, Mr. Howard, but I alone have the clout to protect you from them. Does that mean anything to you?"

Mr. Howard drummed his fingers on the console, growing bored of Vice-Lord Lylis Silva's posturing, knowing it was only a matter of time until she revealed her true nature.

"No?" she continued. "Well, how about this?" The camera turned away from her, showing two well-dressed guards flanking a small, mousey looking woman. Her eyes darted around nervously as Lylis approached her. "Care to state your name, dearly beloved?" Lylis purred.

"M-Mr. Howard, I'm scared. I want to go home," the woman got out.

Lylis backhanded her. "READ THE DAMN SCRIPT!" she snarled.

The girl flinched and tried to take a moment to collect herself, cutting it short when Lylis raised her hand again.

"It is me, your secretary, Blair Ross," she recited robotically, clearly looking only to convince her captor not to further brutalize her.

"I don't understand why you are keeping her daughter from her. Considering how cruel you are being, Lylis…"

"Vice-Lord Silva," Lylis muttered, coldly.

"Vice-Lord Silva," Blair hastily corrected. "Merely wishes to see justice prevail, and what is hers returned to her. Intersyn is more than willing to look the other way and forgive all debts you've amounted solely provided you rectify your role in the wrongful expulsion of Amaralys Silva from its holdings and properties. With that said, failure to respond will result in…"

Blair's eyes widened in horror. "…Oh God…" she said as tears filled her eyes.

"Please finish the script, dearly beloved," Lylis purred.

"I SWEAR I JUST WORKED FOR HIM! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, PLEASE! I JUST WANT TO GO HOME, PLEASE!" Blair began to bawl as the guards escorted her from Lylis's chambers.

Lylis blew a strand of hair from her eyes. "I swear, the young are so spoiled and pampered these days. Imagine balking at an honest day's labor? All those calling me a slave trader, where do people find the audacity? They can leave whenever they want! All they have to do is repay their debts and they are free to go. Or rather, in your case, pay what you owe. I want my daughter back, Phil, and you can get in contact with me via-"

Mr. Howard shut off the monitor. He stared at the blank screen. "…Computer, delete recent transmission."

Mr. Howard rose from his seat, raising his glass towards the screen. "In the spirit of sacrifice, I raise this toast in honor of you, Claire," Mr. Howard announced to no one as he downed the rest of his drink.

"…Chauncey, what's for dinner today? I've had a long day and I am just famished," he continued as he strolled out of his living area.


	9. Friend and Foe

_To some, the notion of "private security" comes with a rather flexible definition. No one has tested that flexibility further than that of the Strum Korps. Founded by Count Bram Welles, an Einhorn aristocrat with an exemplary military record from his service in the Federation military, the Strum Korps provide services for clientele looking for more "proactive" approaches that cannot typically be offered by other companies. Though rather modest in terms of quantity, this private task force makes up for its comparatively small numbers with efficiency and mercilessness. Serving directly under Count Welles, the Korps has been divvied up into three smaller branches. The Intelligence unit, led by Connor Ruebryn, the Strategic command, directed by Tasha Osterman, and the Assault force, driven by Sigfried Ashur._

Chapter 9: Friend and Foe

_Silas Absalom wasn't happy. By all rights, he should be. They had come away with a righteous score, a whole freighter worth of raw dragonite ore and a crew filled with hostages or practice dummies, depending on his mood. The escort fleet had been a good fight. The task force they sent to kill him, even better. But now here he was, pondering what had just happened and what he was going to do about it._

_His men had taken one of those STAMP captives alive. Turned out through their luck she had been female. He had put her under guard by one of what he had thought had been his more reliable men while he tried to figure out how much Strum was willing to pay to get her back. His instructions had, explicitly, been to keep her alive. However, if some members of his crew wanted to "introduce" themselves to their new guest, they had his blessing. The sentry, however, had other ideas, and now he had two dead gunners at his feet and one scrawny little twerp playing do-gooder._

_The reedy gunslinger stared down the perpetrator. "You break my heart, kid," Silas grinned, as he always did. The dour-looking rookie, surrounded by all manner of weapons, stared at his boss with disinterest. "Wayne and Bucky were two of my best men. They just wanted to have a little fun. As long as she's in one piece, it ain't my business to fuss. Or yours," he said as his eyes narrowed._

_The kid had ridden with them for a handful of years, having left his home over a rather "dramatic misunderstanding," and had apparently signed on with his merry band of degenerate murderers to see the stars. He had been a good hand, though lacking in team spirit, often eating alone and spending his downtime tinkering or at a gun range._

"_Now, you know there is a price for friendly fire under my watch. It will cost you three scalps," Silas goaded. "Since I'm being merciful, Ol' Wayne n' Bucky will count for the first two, so all you got to do is get me one more."_

_The kid looked at the bloodied and beaten trooper kneeling beside him. She looked up at him from her unswollen eye as he brought out his hatchet. He grabbed her blonde mop of hair by the root and brought his edge to her forehead._

"…_Just get it over with and kill me," she muttered._

_The kid hesitated. He slowly dug his blade into her skin, watching as she barely winced from the pain. "…How long can you live without a scalp?" she asked through gritted teeth._

"_One bad week," the kid said as he slid across her forehead._

"_Then kill me with the rest. I don't give a damn if I die or not," she said as she closed her eyes._

_The kid stopped. He released her head from his grip, her body collapsing on the steel floor. "...She's already dead, Silas," the kid exclaimed. "Her life no longer belongs to her. She's a waste of flesh and bone. Therefore, I say she belongs to me."_

_The trooper looked up in bewilderment as Silas let out a laugh. "HAH! You got some cheek on you! You want her to be your property? Your loss. The only problem I see is that there is one thing you've overlooked."_

_He spat on the floor as he stood up from the pile of uncooperative crewmembers whose bodies he'd been using as an ottoman. "You don't get to make decisions like that. You belong to me, brat. If I want that fed-bitch torn to pieces or thrown out the airlock, you can't stop me."_

"…_So how about we settle this your way then?" the kid replied as he approached Silas, hand hovering over his sidearm._

_Silas's eyes lit up in delight. And here he thought this little punk didn't have the stones to get into a proper gunfight! He licked his lips as the rest of his crew crowded to the sides of the two duelists. His nostrils flared as he cracked his knuckles. "…You know you can't outshoot me, kid. Two hundred and nineteen others couldn't, and you couldn't polish the boots of most of them. Is that girl really worth dying over?"_

"…_Someone will," the kid muttered._

_A minute of silence passed over the hull of the freighter. It ended in a flurry of motion. Both drew their weapons, and for the briefest of instances, Silas watched as he zeroed down his opponent from the barrel of his hand-cannon. He grinned, seeing as the kid's hand had scarcely left his holster. "Tsk-tsk-tsk, kiddo, have I taught you nothing?" Silas grinned. That was when his eye caught the kid's weapon. It wasn't a firearm. It was a detonator, button already pressed._

_He felt a sharp pop rip from the side of his belt. As the shock wore off, the pain began to kick in. Dropping his gun, he reached down and felt what was left of his right side. As he fell to his knees, he realized that the kid had to have planted the charge on his belt some time ago. Maybe days, or weeks, or from the first day they had met. Silas looked up to see the kid had casually pulled out his revolver, closing the distance between them as he nestled his barrel up to Silas's forehead. This wasn't a duel. It was an execution._

"…_Duncan…" Silas spat out as his crew murmured in shock and disbelief. "…You can go fu-"_

_And with a single bullet, the story of Silas "Heartless" Absalom came to its inevitable and bloody end._

* * *

Cade rose from the bunk, stretching out as he pawed for his rifle. Satisfied, he swung his feet over the edge, finding his boots at the bottom. As he dropped, he noticed the snoring underneath him. Taking up the bottom bunk, Eddie apparently found out how to pass out since the recent Mara incident. The pills gripped in her fist likely playing a role.

As he strapped his boots on, he wondered what his itinerary was going to look like today. He had to confer with Saiyo about where to go with this ship, first and foremost, what with a straight shot to the Carnival presenting all manner of risks. Most likely he was filling in their new guest about the nature and reasons for his accommodations. Perhaps he could get in contact with Syd and get some bodywork done on this thing? Gold was far, FAR too ostentatious for his liking. Perhaps something like Terran brown or gunmetal would serve as a preferable alternative? Not that he was one to question Ron MacDougal's tastes, but with circumstances being what they were…

As he left the quarters, he saw Leilong chatting with Mara. Ducking back inside, he decided to eavesdrop on the conversation. How would Amaralys introduce herself to Leilong, he wondered with a grin.

"…skin-dealer, pretty much," Mara explained. "I don't care what she did with her own body, but that is just sick and wrong."

Leilong sighed. "So that's why you fled. Your mother didn't appreciate your commentary?"

"Most of Intersyn didn't," Mara scoffed. "That's part of what the deal with that Strum Korps Kapitan was. I'd be given to him to teach me to "know my place." When Intersyn considers you property, there isn't much you can do to escape it."

"Enter Mr. Howard," Leilong continued.

Mara bristled. "We met through a friend of a friend… of a friend of a… you get it. Mr. Howard was looking for someone with my talents, and he offered to extract me and set me up with a new life. I said yes, but I had a few issues to sort out, namely getting out of Nereda with my own free will. And that was when he sent…"

Mara turned to notice Cade peeking his head from his quarters. Even through the mask, she just knew he was smiling at her. Glaring back, Mara returned her full and undivided attention to Leilong. "So, basically I got out and here I am."

Leilong glanced back at the unwanted visitor in kind. "…I take it you might have left out some parts."

"I think you might be right," Cade added as he approached the two. "Come on, Mara. Tell him about the first time we met."

Mara glared at him. Oaths or not, even she felt hatred towards that man so strongly she would want nothing more than to kill him. The only thing staying her hand, other than the notion that she did not have the skill to do so, was the guilt already on her bloodstained hands. She would die before putting her life back in Cade's hands again.

"…So, how about lunch?" Mara asked Leilong as she forced her attention away from Cade.

Leilong humored her. "Sounds good. No idea what these guys have in the mess, but I haven't had a drink in ages."

Shooting another look at Cade, Mara immediately dove in to peck Leilong on the cheek. Leilong was almost surprised by the sudden display of affection, and probably more so by the message she whispered in his ear. "Eddie's bad, Cade's worse."

She drew back and smiled brightly. "I'll get the tea started awhile. Don't hold up!" she said as she briskly put distance between her and Cade.

Leilong turned to Cade, who shrugged and leaned against the wall. "And some people wonder why I don't bother trying to be friendly."

"Like you did with the MacDougals?" Leilong asked, pointedly.

"You have an issue with my methods?" Cade asked. "Say what you will about me personally, but I got us safe passage away before Strum Korps closed in on us. Don't pretend I'm without merit."

"Merit, perhaps," Leilong answered. "Certainly not pride, though."

Cade smiled. "You sound just like Silas. All you old-timers love to pretend honor isn't something invented to glorify murderers. Honor and glory? Give me professionalism any day."

Leilong stared down his partner. "And all you youngsters think you can always stack the deck in your favor before things go wrong."

"I know what I'm playing for," Cade replied. "You? For a man trying to run from his past, you certainly haven't gone very far."

"You know," Leilong began. "You might have the right idea after all. Why don't you tend to your own business, and leave me to mine," he stated, ending the conversation.

"Of course, of course," Cade relented, holding out his hands. "Just know that, if nothing else, when you question your ability to stay on the straight and narrow, you have my solemn vow that no matter what… I'll be right behind you," he said as Leilong turned away from him. Cade gestured his hand into a gun and pantomimed firing a round into Leilong's back. Truth be told, he honestly had nothing but the utmost respect for Leilong. Certainly, when the time came, killing him would be worth the effort.

* * *

The television had practically been disassembled, not helping matters were the three pairs of hostile eyes staring him down as he hooked himself up to the device. Wordlessly, he located the memory file and played it back on the screen for them to view. It would be a completely visual affair, as he was still unable to translate it from his personal memory bank. As he looked over his audience he noticed only Gene was looking at the screen. Aisha's eyes hadn't left him once, and Twilight was busy stroking HER hair. His angel's. And HER eyes hadn't left that bastard once.

He started from his arrival at their shop, him sitting back as Ron directed the hired help to get into position. He felt Gene's eyes stare him down, not that it bothered him much. He could get pissed at him all he wanted, it couldn't amount to anything now. Plus he had come here to kill him anyway until they found themselves where they were.

When the front door creaked open, Ron immediately fired onto the newcomer, clearly expecting it to be Starwind. As the gang left the office, they realized it had been two newcomers. One was, in Gene's estimation, one of the hottest, if not quite the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. And the other was…

"…Is this some kind of joke?" Gene spoke up as Suzuka and Aisha joined in to stare Harry down.

"Chau Leilong. Wanted dead or alive by the Tendo King," Harry replied.

"I literally put him in the ground!" Gene growled. "Why is he here? We have to deal with his ass again?!"

The memories skipped forward after the two made a break for it. It arrived then the MacDougal's air speeder intercepted the stolen Ehefrau. The new team had picked up a new member in the time since, and the sight of him made Aisha bristle and hiss. Harry himself seemed less than thrilled by reliving this memory.

"I think this POS is named Cade Black," Harry spat. "Apart from a few bounty boards, there isn't much we know about him except he probably used to run with Silas Absalom."

Suzuka's ears perked up to that, as did Gene's. It stood to reason that some outlaws were more famous than others, and quite a few had a level of infamy and notoriety that could eclipse most others. Silas Absalom was someone Gene's father had told him about, as an example of what happens when people go as bad as they possibly could. When Gene first became a gunslinger, one of his favorite fantasies was about what would happen when he brought in his bounty, and how long it would take the resulting booze and women from the windfall to let him die a happy man.

It then got to the part where this Cade guy shot off Harry's arm. This alleviated Gene's mood a bit, though he did his best to hide it. And he had to fight back a cheer when he saw Ron take a round in his back. Harry, to his credit, was able to protect his brother from Cade's follow-up assault, and immediately dove back to cover his brother when the last member showed up. It had been a brief glimpse, but Harry pulled up her file and rap sheet. "This one I know goes by the name Edwina Skorzeny." Her photos of her most recent and apparently unsuccessful incarceration showed her giving the camera the finger among numerous other foul gestures.

"So, we're going up against Leilong and the… Pact, you said?" Gene said as he leaned back against the sofa. "Guess we don't have a choice. They have one of ours."

"And my ship," Harry growled.

"Technically, your brother's," Gene growled. "How is he doing anyway?"

Harry glared back. "…He's going to be just fine."

"Gene, please prioritize," Suzuka interjected. "I understand your reticence, but it won't help Jim at this juncture."

Gene reluctantly dropped the issue. "You know they have Jim?" he asked.

"Ron said he saw them transfer someone who looked pretty familiar from your car to their truck. And port security confirms they had a child with them.

Gene fell back and rubbed his eyes. He was pondering whether it was worse to have Jim kidnapped or having Harry Freaking MacDougal vital to the rescue of his partner.

"…You know where they're going?" Gene asked.

"These files and Ron say that they are affiliated with the Carnival," Harry stated. "If that isn't where they are headed, someone there will know where they are."

"Unless they're leading us to a trap," Suzuka interjected.

"I DON'T CARE!" Mel finally spoke up. All eyes turned towards her after finally hearing her speak since Harry's arrival. "He needs us and we have to help him."

"…Agreed," Gene nodded, stroking her hair. "We're getting him back and nothing is going to stop us."

Harry stood immovable, even as his human mind boiled in rage. He had been studying the crew's movements in the months after the Leyline, amongst which had been their run-ins with the law. Of all the crew, Melfina had by far the smallest criminal record, basically being a single incident on Oracion. A public indecency charge in a park after hours… along with one Gene Starwind also mentioned in the report.

Gene had his angel, had months to sink his hooks into her and turn her into his plaything. She needed someone better, someone who could DO better. Harry was the only person who could possibly understand her, as the rest could never see her as anything more than useful at best and a puppet at worst. He would make her understand that one day.

"So, we now know who where we are going and who we are going up against," Suzuka began. "This Carnival… I've never been there. Heard some things, though. Isn't it invitation only?"

"Generally, its exclusively for outlaws. They don't tolerate allies of either the military or the pirates," Harry replied.

"Wouldn't that make it hard for you to join?" Gene asked. "You guys aren't exactly picky about messing around with either side."

"…My… Ron's dad helped build the place," Harry spoke softly. "Ron, however, wasn't exactly excited about gaining a membership. He wanted to do things his way. The only way to get invited is through a sponsor. That'll be the first thing we need to do, once we get off this rock."

Gene looked pensive for a moment, before coming up with what could only be described as a visible eureka moment. "…I think I might know someone."

* * *

Sigfried grew weary of the voice in his ear. One of his lieutenants was reciting a litany of bureaucratic tripe regarding the seizure and overriding of the spaceport authority. He snorted, the whole point of having underlings was so he didn't have to deal with that sort of garbage in his own time. He had been dealing with the old man and that beaten dog of an intelligence officer all month. Now was the time for a little R&R.

It was a rather interesting sight walking down the dusty street. A blond man, six foot four, lean and muscular, clad in casual military fatigues, his officers coat hanging from his shoulders as a claymore rested by his neck. He was conspicuous, and seemingly oblivious to the hostile stares he earned as he gradually entered a less friendly section of the neighborhood.

He looked at the note he had scribbled down, looking for the address his sources indicated. He glanced towards the building it indicated, taking note of the fortifications surrounding the windows and doorways, in addition to the murder-holes dotting the walls. He had two breaching squads on standby. He hoped that they had a good seat to the show.

He approached the door, taking his sword from his shoulder as he rapped on the doorway. The slit opened, revealing a two-barreled greeting aimed towards his face.

"We don't deal with tourists, hombre. Start walking," the voice hissed.

"I'm here on business. I'm tracking a few individuals that passed through here some time ago. Might some of you gentlemen have made contact with them, I'd be willing to part with a generous fee for your cooperation," Ashur said, undeterred.

"Walk, tourist," the voice snarled.

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that Tiohara was a free city," Ashur said.

"We wish to be free of you, pendejo. Take the hint or your shoulders shall be free of your head!"

"I understand," Ashur relented. He began to back away from the building until the doorman closed the slit. Once he did, Ashur charged the doorway, bursting the dead-bolted doorframe from its hinges. The doorman himself was rent down immediately by the claymore. As the other occupants realized their club was under attack and rushed to arm themselves. Everything from machine guns to pool cues was brought to bear against the intruder. It barely slowed him down.

Thanks to the generous assistance of a mortally wounded gangster, it did not take long for Ashur to locate the elevator to the boss's office in the basement. Buried three stories down, Ashur took a moment to check his sidearm. He hadn't needed to fire the weapon once since he entered this dump. No doubt about it, he was a swordsman through and through.

Bringing his sword in front of him, Ashur braced himself for the barrage of automatic fire that greeted him upon the opening of the elevator. Light shield activated, he burst from the shaft in a flurry of motion, diving and sweeping through the legs of the guards as he swung his sword at their knees, crippling and hobbling the hapless sentries before kicking himself up to his feet. Not stopping to admire his handiwork, he kicked the door down to the office, where the corpulent toad of a crime lord waited behind his desk for him.

"Foreign dog," he croaked. "What do you want? Turf? Money? Tell me what you want and be quick of it."

"Esteban, is it?" Ashur spoke, glancing around the cramped office. "I was wondering if you would be so kind as to part with some information regarding the activities of some of your associates recently. The ones who did some contract work with one Ronald Travis MacDougal?"

"Man paid fifty large upfront," the stunted man hissed. "Not a bad deal to mess with tourists. I don't think they managed it though, seeing as they ran into some others."

"I take it the survivor told you about the… disruption," Ashur said as he planted his blade into the floor. "Tell me, do you have a description of the interlopers?"

The crime lord narrowed his eyes towards the intruder. "…According to my man, one of them was a former assassin for Kei Pirates. Don't know much about what he was doing out here, but apparently, the Tendo King himself would have paid handsomely for his bounty."

"1.5 million wong, to be exact," Ashur stated as the crime lord balked. "For the corpse, delivered alive would be around 2.7," the mercenary continued.

"There's an open bounty that big out there and we haven't heard of it?" the crime lord asked.

"Well, it's not exactly open," Ashur shrugged. "The Tendo King and I have an arrangement. Anyway, no matter, who else was with him?"

The crime lord pretended to struggle to remember. "…Well, there may have been a rather delicious looking mamacita accompanying him. Perhaps our friend on the lam wanted some company?"

Ashur grew impatient, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out some francas. "And how is your memory now?"

The crime lord took up the money, counting it out as his lip turned upwards. "…One of our contractors may have mentioned an Intersyn bounty."

A slow grin crept across Ashur's face. _I finally found you. _"Thank you, Senor Esteban, you have been very helpful."

"Not so fast, culero," the crime boss scowled as Ashur turned away. "You damaged my property and put down quite a few of my men. You aren't leaving without compensating me properly."

"You aren't getting put down like you vermin deserve. That's my payment," Ashur replied.

"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to tell you that it simply won't do," Esteban replied as he snapped his fingers. Runes activated around Ashur's person as immaterial chains bound and began to strangulate the mercenary. "I hired some local mages to implement some security precautions in case I have to deal with an uppity employee or an uninvited guest," Mr. Esteban sneered as he pulled his pistol from his desk.

Ashur slowly pulled his hand towards the hilt of his sword. Once he touched the handle, he began setting in the combination. As Esteban rounded his desk and pressed the gun against Ashur's head, a surge of discordant energy shot through Ashur's blade. A hellish drone began to emit across the room, as the immaterial chains suddenly began to rot and break. The markings carved into the walls began to scorch, and Ashur swung around, bringing his blade with him as he severed Esteban's hand from his arm.

The crime boss screamed as he doubled over, crashing into his desk as he looked at where the wounded stump was supposed to be. To his eternal shock and confusion, in the absence of an actual wound, we saw a smoky fog emanating from where his hand had been. He felt no pain but somehow could make out his very energy being sapped into the wound.

"This…" Ashur began as he held the now clear and colorless blade to Esteban's neck. "…Is concentrated anti-magic. Your spells and traps won't have any effect on me. And if you have the misfortune of getting hit by this thing, well…" he pulled out his high-caliber pistol. "…The humane thing would be to use this." With that, he drove his sword into Esteban's heart, watching as the man gurgled and writhed while his very spirit and soul was unmade. Undoing the puzzle on the handle, Ashur's blade re-solidified, and he strolled out of the hideout in a manner, not unlike someone who finished a minor errand.

"Lieutenant, have you completed your investigation of the recent hijacking?"

"We've managed to secure some video footage from the security feed. Six individuals, one broke into the ship and the rest followed shortly afterward. One of them appears to be a young child."

"Either they picked up another accomplice or they took a hostage," Ashur quietly mused to himself. "Evidently they came here looking for something and couldn't find it. Phil must be furious. Any other news."

"We are getting a lot of petitions to launch. From this one crew in particular, especially. The captain sounds agitated."

"The captain who is requesting a launch, is his address the same where the first incident took place?" Ashur asked.

"…Checking… odd, it is," his lieutenant admitted.

"…Lift the sanction and allow that pilot to take off," Ashur grinned. "Whatever he has, our dearest Mr. Howard is looking for. Get their ship's ID registered while you are at it, we can use the crew as bait."

As Ashur killed the line, he thought about introducing himself to the crew personally. Perhaps hiring them for a job and funding them as they hunted down a common enemy. Then again, perhaps it would be preferable to keep his liabilities to a minimum. Some of his recent actions had earned some criticism towards him from the geezer and that jaded intel officer. Surely, all he needed was the Raptor and he could pacify the entire Ban Gap himself. In the end, he decided against filling the crew in on what they were getting into. Hopefully, this wouldn't be as big a wash as finding Dian-Chen. A pity. He'd been looking forward to making her acquaintance, only to have her run afoul of that monster hours before his arrival. Another humane action on his end followed.

Ashur felt his body heat rise. His appetite had been whet, and he was nowhere close to being full. "Men," he announced into his communicator. "As the Praetorian rearms and refuels, tonight we are going hunting! Follow my lead, and we will level every hideout, drug den, and whorehouse we come across infecting this city. And naturally, all loot will be up for grabs. Best get a move on, boys."

He figured his bait deserved a bit of a head start. And he would never pass up the opportunity to keep the skills of his men sharp. As his gas-masked stormtroopers swept through the criminal element of the city like a bolt of lightning, Ashur wondered how much those who would fill in the vacuum of his actions would pay him for protection money. A paltry revenue source, sure, but the pay for civil servants was often dreadfully low for his standards, and it wasn't his only revenue source, going so far as to take up bounty hunting as a hobby. Then again, if the pay was all that mattered, he'd have stuck with piracy. No, he thought to himself as he watched his men clear another drug den, his lot in life is pretty good. Between his job and hobby, he had all the excitement a man could ask for.


	10. Contemptible Contracts

_Even on the outer fringes of frontier space, home to the most vicious of pirates and desperate of outlaws, shadowy tendrils of an extensive criminal network can find willing buyers for their wares and services. Dubbed the Intergalactic Syndicate, or "Intersyn" for short, this mighty empire of vice and violence exists adjacently to the Three Powers of human space. This is a group with no lines left to cross, who trades blood for money, bodies for narcotics, innocence for information, and is so entrenched in the background of the galactic community that aspiring to oppose them proves to be a dangerous and futile concept. To barter with them is to risk your soul, and to cheat them, to flirt with annihilation._

Chapter 10: Contemptible Contracts

Lylis read through the reports. Her two bodyguards flanked her, one keeping his eyes on her, the other keeping his eyes on the other. The other girl sat as still as she could, trembling like a leaf as Lylis absent-mindedly flipped through what was in front of her. Lylis peered over the papers before her, hiding her smile as the girl flinched.

"So, Blair, this is the best you have to offer me?" Lylis asked.

"Ma'am, I think I've found several ways to optimize the front of your house. If I'm right, I can boost your monthly revenue by 8%," Blair began, hopefully.

"And if you're not, you shall pay the difference out of your body," Lylis responded, flatly.

Blair gulped as the bodyguards flanked her. "Take her back to her quarters, give her some backlogged paperwork to deal with. If she gets through with enough, I'll abstain from putting her up for sale," Lylis said as she leaned back on her cushion.

"I'll do my best you won't regret it thank you so much I swear I have nothing to do with Howard I'll make you see it I promise you this…" she tried to get out as her bodyguards dragged her from the room. As Lylis watched the door close, she poured herself another glass of wine. Taking a sip, she wondered how her daughter was doing. If she had finally found and managed to somehow enjoy the freedom she had craved. Lylis sneered. A little schooling and suddenly she thought she could break free of the bonds with her mother. Altruism was a mental illness, she always tried to tell her sweetest Amaralys. The only way to escape being the victim was to sacrifice those of lesser wills. Desperate families out of options to escape debt, young women trapped in circumstances without easy escape, people who liked Arturo's product a little too much, anyone stupid or weak enough to betray weakness or vulnerability was fair game.

"Vice Lord, they've sent their representative," the voice over the speaker growled.

"Send him up," Lylis said as she stretched her body across her oriental cushions. In her line of work, it wasn't enough to merely consolidate her territories and influence. She had to expand, compete against her very rivals in the syndicate. Yurivik, the arms dealer, and Arturo Latoro, the drug kingpin, were her most bitter adversaries on Nereda. They fought over contacts, territory, and influence with the hierarchs. Until this planet belonged to her, she could not risk relaxing. She needed resources and allies.

She undid her robe's belt as she checked herself in a mirror. Her carefully and deliberately crafted pampering was thus far paying off, having shaved off a decade and a half from her features. To the outside world, when compared side by side, Lylis and Amaralys could pass as sisters, she thought with pride.

"Please enter," she purred over the intercom.

The man came in, hesitating as he saw the room and its occupant. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He immediately began darting around her room, scribbling numbers down on a notepad.

"…Not a replica, an authentic one…" he murmured under his breath as he checked over a vase. "…At least two hundred years old, it predates the Towards Stars calendar by…" he continued as he gleaned one of the Chinese tapestries. "…I had heard rumors, but to see it all in person," he breathed.

"Ahem," Lylis cleared her throat to attract the man's attention. "Isn't there… anything else you'd like to discuss?" she purred as she leaned forward.

The man's eyes widened as he looked over the beautiful woman. "Oh my, it's true…" he slowly approached her, looked her up and down, and grabbed the hem of her robe. "Szlithaoni silk! You can only buy this by the thread!" he exclaimed as he greedily rubbed the texture.

"…Mr. Luo!" Lylis growled as she slapped his hand away, perturbed that her usual opening had effectively been ignored. Rude as it was, based on his candor, it appeared Mr. Luo's father knew exactly what he was doing when he had sent this particular son to deal with her. She took her seat as she retied her belt, motioning Fred Luo to the opposite cushion pile.

"Fond of my collection? For the right price, I'd be willing to part with much of it. Most of it is largely hold-overs from the previous proprietor of this business," Lylis explained as she poured the newcomer a glass of wine.

"Thank you so much, I'm always looking to expand my personal collection," Fred giddily nodded as he took the drink.

"And I'm always looking to expand my territory. By now you've seen my offer?" Lylis purred as she took a sip.

Fred's smile began to fade. "A tempting proposal, but I'm hesitant to sacrifice most of my local assets. Luo Enterprises only now just entered the system, and I'd hate to sell prematurely before drawing any profit."

"Oh, I'm not talking about your local branch," Lylis gave a quiet grin. "I'm talking about your off-world branches. I'm thinking of expanding my operations and Heiphong looks to be prime real estate for another Pleasure Palace."

Fred cocked his eyebrow, taken aback. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that the city was in the market for a luxury bordello," he stated.

"Oh, my sweetest Luo, I MAKE the market," Lylis began grinning louder. "And you are fully aware that such a business makes for an," she stopped to laugh once. "attractive" front for other activities. How about… a fifteen percent stake once I set up shop."

"Fifteen?!" Luo shouted, indignantly. "For the price you've offered for one of my best-performing branches?! If you meant to insult me, you could have just told me that over the phone and not wasted our time!" he snarled as he stood up and slammed the wine glass on the floor. The broken glass reassembled itself immediately after the drink began to stain the rug.

"I'd say it's less of an insult, and more of a favor," Lylis smiled, nonplussed by the outburst. "I'm not the only one in this town who's been eying you since your arrival. Just the only one willing to talk to you before putting a bullet in your head."

Fred Luo paused. "…I want nothing to do with Intersyn. I'm just looking to move starship material, I've no interest in dipping into the local gun market or the drug business period. And though I try not to be judgmental, I must confess that your… market leaves a sour taste in my mouth," Fred admitted.

Lylis let out a howl of laughter. "…Are you trying to shame me, Luo? I don't deal in forced labor. I never force anyone to sign a contract. It isn't my fault people find other alternatives in my business too terrifying. Ask any of my women if they'd leave, I dare you. Find one who won't come crawling back once the full ugly truth of the real world makes itself known. I'm not here to be anyone's savior, but compared to what my girls are running from, I am salvation!"

Lylis took a moment to calm herself. "…We make decisions, Mr. Luo, that most people cannot understand because they can never be in the positions we find ourselves. Ask yourself, Mr. Luo, what is worse? A secure place of employment for a few handfuls of poor, young and naïve girls to use what their presumably single parent gave them? Or a well-supplied gang war in the streets, either that or narcotics flooding neighborhoods?" she asked.

Fred stared at the woman. As a frontier capitalist, questions regarding morals and ethics rarely entered his periphery. Every decision he made came with a monetary value to consider. He could trade enough weapons and ammo to arm a Federation battalion and not bat an eye or lose a minute of sleep. But this woman wasn't just trading dangerous material. She was the flesh-monger, trading bodies and lives. The notion made him sick just thinking about it, almost as sick as the idea of finding himself in the middle of a war with Intersyn.

"…I'll have to discuss this with my father and siblings," Fred wearily. "In the morning, I suppose we can hash out some details."

"Actually, I was wondering if we could discuss a certain matter before you left," Lylis hopefully smiled. "I have some questions about some rather interesting associates of yours."

Fred felt a pit of dread in his stomach. "And what is your interest in whoever they happen to be?"

"Absolutely nothing," Lylis answered honestly. "But I have reason to believe that a very dear friend of mine may have a not so insignificant interest in them, or rather something they possess. And the only way to find this man is to find whatever he's looking for before he finds it."

* * *

Leilong dragged his hostage by the back of his jacket down the corridor. Jim did not feel like cooperating, dragging his heels in the ground in a futile effort to make Leilong's job more difficult. The assassin put up no complaint, figuring the kid's attitude was justified and it wasn't like he could actually do anything to slow him down.

"That floor is probably going to hold up longer than your shoes," Leilong offered behind him.

"And I hoped that hole we dumped you in would keep you there," Jim shot back.

"What's done is done," Leilong sighed. "Best we can do is make sure this doesn't get any uglier than it already has."

Taking the lift to the bridge, Jim got his first glimpse of the crew he was dealing with. "Andrea" stood on the port side of the driver's console, directly across from him and Leilong as they exited the shaft. On the opposite side, the one called Cade was talking intently with the girl whose name he learned was Eddie. She glanced over to Jim briefly before a quick glare from Cade drove her attention back. In the center, piloting the ship, was a face he had become very briefly familiar with.

"Hey, kid, you doing OK?" Saiyo asked.

"Oh, I'm doing alright. I'm just really regretting springing this one jackass from prison," Jim shot back.

Saiyo quietly hid his wince as he activated the communication screen in front of the bridge. An image of a well-dressed man sitting on an office chair stared down the hired crew and hostage. From behind his coke-bottle sunglasses, the man regarded his "employees" first.

"Status report, Saiyo," he began.

"We engaged with some unrelated third parties before we properly made contact with Starwind's crew. The ship itself was off-planet at the time, we did not know this until after we commenced our operation."

"Did you engage any of the crew itself?" the man regarded Cade and Eddie.

"I disabled the Ctarl, and we were able to neutralize Twilight Suzuka," Cade replied.

"Not eliminated?" the man asked with a sense of dull amusement.

Cade seemed to bristle while Eddie shot Jim a slightly apologetic look. "Time was of the essence. Regrouping with the rest of the team was a higher priority," the sniper stated, flatly.

"I take it you two had quite the incident?" the man coyly then asked Leilong and Mara.

"That third party Cade mentioned happened to be commanded by Ron MacDougal," Leilong debriefed.

The man shot an eyebrow up. "This is rather disconcerting news. MacDougal is not an enemy one should make if they can help it."

"Should have told us that before we stole his ship," Leilong responded.

"And before Cade planted one in his back," Eddie grinned, extending her hand out for a high five that she did not expect Cade to reciprocate. To the surprise of the crew, he actually did. "That's for lighting up his useless brother. Good work, by the way," Cade explained to the shocked Eddie.

"So are the MacDougal's dead?" the man asked.

"Doubt it," Cade admitted. "Ron is resourceful. The only question is whether he sinks back into hiding or attempts to take out Starwind and steal that ship to pursue this one."

"You are thinking pretty highly for someone whose kidney you shot out," Eddie interjected.

"I aspire to be like Ron MacDougal," Cade admitted. "With a reputation like his, achieving my own goals would be a simple matter."

"Hey!" Eddie suddenly interrupted. "Are you saying that makes me Harry MacDougal?"

"No," Cade shook his head. "You aren't nearly that embarrassing a partner."

"You mean it?" Eddie asked as her face lit up.

"Sure, why not?" Cade deadpanned.

As Eddie began to bounce up and down in glee, the man on the screen turned to the rest of the crew. "Any sign of Ashur picking up pursuit?" he asked.

"Negative," Saiyo spoke up. "Dodged that bullet by the skin of our teeth," he sighed in relief.

"Indeed. Staying ahead of the Strum Korps has been a grueling endeavor these past few years," the man said as he took off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose.

"May I speak to the hostage?"

Leilong moved Jim into the periphery of the screen as the man placed his sunglasses back on his face. He took a moment to stare at the young kid. After a few seconds, a sense of recognition crossed his face.

"Mr. Hawking, I presume?" the man said.

"The one and only. Who the hell are you?" Jim exclaimed, fed up with being ignored as a hostage like it had been his idea.

"My name is Philip L. Howard. I humbly apologize for the liberties taken against your person at the hands of my associates," he stated, bowing his head as his fingers drummed against the grip of his ornate cane. "I am merely seeking to reclaim stolen property that resides in the confines of… well, I suppose in all fairness it is "your" ship, once we escape the tedious technicalities," Mr. Howard admitted.

"…Wouldn't that make it "our" property," Jim asked. "Guess you'd just be sore outta luck until you came up with a good enough number."

"I had considered such a notion. However, circumstances, as they are, haven't freed up enough assets to make such a bargain compelling for your captain," Mr. Howard continued.

"I figured. So much cheaper to hire some degenerate thugs to jack the ship," Jim snarked back.

"Watch it, kid," Mara spoke up. "You aren't in much of a position to give lip."

"Oh, my mistake," Jim said as he looked at her. "How could I forget to add kidnapping, too?"

Mara looked like she wanted to drive another syringe into his vein and shut him up for another few hours. Leilong noticed she was pawing something in her pocket. Eddie noticed that whenever Mara got flustered, her blush went down to her neck. Cade figured that Mara resented the fact that she was also using knockout chemicals in a manner not dissimilar to her mother's security staff.

"This is not how I wanted this mission to go, Mr. Hawking," Mr. Howard continued, apologetically. "I shall personally be contacting Captain Starwind so we can broker a… mutually beneficial deal. Your return for whatever arcane technologies Professor Khan implemented within the Outlaw Star."

Jim went silent. "…What arcane technologies?"

Mr. Howard leaned forward. "Don't play dumb or cute with me, boy. I know the Outlaw Star made it to the Galactic Leyline. It wouldn't have been possible had Professor Khan not used my collection to complete the ship."

"…And that's all you want? Just the tech in the ship?" Jim continued.

"…You have something to add, Mr. Hawking?" Mr. Howard asked.

"No," Jim shook his head. "Whatever, you can take whatever you want from the ship, just as long as I can return home on it."

"Excellent," Mr. Howard clasped his hands. "Once I arrive, disassembling the Pre-Ethereal technologies from the ship's mainframe should be an easy matter. And Dr. Morgan's expertise should make removing the navigation hardware from the bio-android a trivial task!"

"Wait, what?!" Jim spoke up as Leilong stared at Mara, who merely shrugged in a resigned manner. "Why else do you think he'd drag a surgeon all this way out here?" she offered.

"Bio-android?" Eddie spoke up. "Who was the bio-android?"

"Well, Eddie, process of elimination would indicate it was the one you kept calling "Schoolgirl" during the mission briefings," Cade offered.

"No kidding?" Eddie grinned. "I figured something about her didn't match up with the rest of the crew. Or, I guess "it" would be a better term," Eddie shrugged.

Jim glared daggers at Eddie, who was focused on more important matters to notice.

"So, new name would be… Sex-bot? Yeah, Sex-bot!" Eddie looked to Cade for confirmation.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's not like we know what the situation is downstairs," Cade offered, playfully.

"Don't know… are you kidding me, Cade?!" Eddie started, shocked by her partner's naivety. "If you're going to put that much effort in making such a cute little package like that, why wouldn't they make it fun to ride!" she laughed. "It probably knows more sexual positions than Doc Morgan herself, huh?" she glanced over to Mara, who in turn fantasized about a trapdoor airlock directly under Eddie's feet.

"Wait, what am I thinking? Hawking is a growing boy! Apart from Captain Scarface, if anyone knows about how good it puts out, it would be-"

By this point, after wriggling free of Leilong's grip, Jim had planted his foot firmly on the driver's console behind Saiyo, launching himself towards Eddie. With his hands still bound behind him, Jim instead focused on making sure his forehead could connect with Eddie's jaw. At any rate, he caught Eddie by surprise, as her eyes widened in shock as they connected with Jim's, filled with boiling tears as they were. Cade, however, had planted his knee firmly into Jim's gut, driving Jim's back into the side of the driver's console. As Jim looked up, he saw Cade pull out a revolver, gripping it by the barrel as he prepared to swing down onto the boy. It was prevented by a combination of Mara letting out a scream, Leilong diving over the console to intercept, Saiyo extending his arm to block, and Eddie wrapping her hands around Cade's shoulder to hold him in place.

"…Well, it appears this situation is more volatile than anticipated," Mr. Howard exclaimed with disinterest. "Keep the Mr. Hawking safe and intact, I hope you will all see to it."

"HER!" Jim shrieked. "HER! HER! HER! MELFINA IS A PERSON!"

Jim took some heaving breaths as Cade shook off Eddie's grip and Leilong dragged his body over the console. "Not an it, you worthless sacks of garbage. Her," he sobbed as Leilong escorted him to the lift. "You guys are going to kill her."

* * *

Rukko Gresha-Gresha stalked through the corridors of the Dredholk. The massive freighter bustled with activity, with various weapons smiths sharpening blades or maintaining guns for the raiders before they launched their next mission. The smell of alcohol filled his nostrils, a cheap concoction that the Terran's in the crew had dubbed "moonshine." As the sounds of welding began to dull in his ears, he noticed another that took its place. Screaming and cheering, he saw a group of dozens circling two Saurians as they slammed into and pummeled one another while the bystanders took bets.

Curiosity dictated he stand and observe, mostly to see whether Tex or Dex would walk away the victor this time. The two reptilian had been birthed on the same day in the same lab, which technically made them brothers as far as they were concerned. After serving in the Second Terran-Ctarl War, which saw many Saurians acting as front-line shock troops on far-off distant border planets, quite a few Saurians had been considered disposable by Federation command, viewed by Earthling leadership as mutant tools designed solely to counter Ctarl-Ctarl advantages. Those who did not attempt to return to Federation space found themselves on the frontier, many serving as hired muscle for various criminal enterprises. Tex and Dex had made enemies of most of them and were brought in by the Rev before their luck ran out. As Tex threw his brother into the crowd as they scattered, Rukko chuckled as Dex counter-charged his brother. Where others saw a fight to the death, he knew the twins were merely playing the only way they knew how. They weren't fighting to show dominance or humiliate their opponent. It was the only thing the two understood about the other, the only way they could understand. Rukko left as Dex suplexed his brother onto some slow to escape bystanders, who welched through the pain that their bets were still good and the fight wasn't over yet.

The raid into Kei territory had come with some damage to the hull of the ship, as a few lucky shots from the fortress had scuffed interior in addition to the external damages. As usual, the Lorgans were hard at work repairing the damages, their work ethic, as usual, putting the Terrans (and his own, he secretly noted) to shame.

The Lorgans were a tragic tale. A subterranean species, they had suffered a planet-wide cataclysm as their ambitious competitive mining operations breached the core of their home planet, compromising their environment as the survivors of the countless quakes and breaches fled to the stars. Their secretive nature and bizarre compulsions garnered them few friends, and they tended to be eyed suspiciously throughout the galaxy. According to their strange beliefs, as Rukko could understand it, the fact that so many had found steady and consistent employment was to be a source of pride for those dwelling in the Rev's Horde, while simultaneously a mark of eternal shame for opting to live out their days amongst the stars instead of near the mantle of a nice planet, while also concurrently a necessary and vital step towards the Lorgan's belief of locating the Centermost Core, the ultimate middle-point of the universe where all life was created and destined to return. Rukko never cared much for theology.

There were few decorations around the shipping container to mark it as an important point of the ship. Just a few symbols painted on the sides, the work of the local cult sprung up by that wretched self-styled wise-woman. No security either. Made perfect sense, seeing as safety was the last thing on his mind.

Rukko's pack had pursued him, chased him to a swamp moon, and hunted him for months. They fought not for the pride of the Ctarl-Ctarl, but the honor of their own tribe, the Ursan-Ursan, having recently reintegrated back into the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire after their generations-long banishment. With the expertise they had honed hunting on their icy prison, his pack played a vicious game with something that many had regarded as a myth. Six times, Rukko thought they killed him, and six times the man had returned, whittling down his tribe little by little until only he and Rukko remained. Never before had Rukko ever been bested by his prey, and rather than resentment over the loss of his pack, found a healthy respect for his new rival. Pledging his service to the man who fairly bested him, a practice long since forgotten by most of the Ursan-Ursan, most of whom were now content to either serve as shock troops for the Ctarl-Ctarl military or an honor guard for Ctarl-Ctarl nobles and aristocrats, Rukko found himself commanding a horde of renegade outlaws, desperados, and killers, leading them against anything that promised to put up a fight. It was the best job he ever had.

Opening the shipping container, he saw him having a conference with his wise-woman, he thought with derision. The nature of his abilities did come off as rather mystical, and it served as a lightning rod for those who had nothing left to lose. Those who wanted to look for an excuse to fight and die Rukko completely understood. The man was a banner who never fell, never for long at any rate. But those who decided to worship him, however, that never ceased to confound and baffle him.

Even from here, he could make out the whispers of that dreadful woman as she tried to fill his head with nonsense. There she was, hunched over her walking stick, adorned with long-dead fauna skulls as she began her smoke show in front of the unimpressed Rev, who accepted these demonstrations as a way to humor her for her medical services and to keep the local cult in line.

"The dark waters that birthed you, they hide the throne. They hide the egg. They hide the moon. That man that is not a man knows this. One pursues the other as greater forces are at play. The maiden knows what you are not. Beware the one who slew your brother, his brother, and thy brother. The fool shall join others. Your destiny approaches."

"Finally!" the Rev called out as he rose to his feet. "Hours of listening to your nonsense and you finally tell me what I want to know! Who is it? Tell me who so I can get this damn thing over with!"

"…A warrior…" the crone began. "…No… not quite a killer. Drenched in blood and is sick to the smell, they will have to go through more than what you offer to prove themselves worthy of resolving your affliction."

The Rev snorted, looking over the framed scalps that decorated the interior. They had belonged to pirates, outlaws, bounty hunters, warriors of every species and creed who he sought out or managed to find him. Sometimes misfortune ended their hunt before it began. Other times, their skill wasn't up to the task.

"If you are finished boring our leader, Cassandra," Rukko began. "I would appreciate if you would make for your fellow cronies. I hear the tea-leaves are especially entertaining this evening," the savage warrior heckled.

"…The silent cat shall arrive soon," Cassandra muttered as she passed Rukko. "You shall be smitten by the kitten, and smote by the empty blade afterward."

"Goodbye, Cassie!" Rukko shouted as he rudely booted her from the container. "…Of all the people we put up with, why did you not leave that withered old bird where you found her?"

The Rev let out a sad laugh. "Well, let's just say the last time I ignored her warnings outright, I've been regretting it ever since."

Rukko laughed. "What, she gave you some mystical nonsense once and it happened to line up with a bad evening? It'll take more than that to impress me, no offense."

"None taken," The Rev replied, sadly. "All I had to do was stay away from the Dragon's Grave, then by now I could… you know, she also told me that the shamed crone would join the rest," he said as he looked at the most recent piece of his collection, hair as luscious as the day it was sliced from her scalp. "If I had listened, she'd be enjoying Hazanko's palace. Alas, I just had to make sure," The Rev grinned.

"Spare me," Rukko grinned in kind. "We both know you won't pass an excuse to kill pirates."

The Rev shrugged. "Sometimes old habits die hard. We're close, you know. The Black Ether Sea is only half a day away from here. The greatest day of my life, that was."

"I may have heard," Rukko replied, prompting a chuckle from Solomon. "Sorry, these days I often find myself an old man rambling about the glory days. Still, though… there's only two of us left now. Me and Callaway," Solomon noted, morosely.

Rukko watched the wistful eyes of Solomon begin to fill with emotion. "…Thought we could take on the galaxy, and damn near proved it. Why did it all have to fall apart? Omar and Lazarus had to kill each other over such petty trifles, Diana drank herself to death, Jules was executed on some miserable backwater, Butch vanished, and Silas fell before I could reach him."

"Gave his killers quite the scare, didn't you?" Rukko grinned, remembering the battered and bloodied near-corpses Solomon had left that boy and girl. They'd put up quite the fight, but they didn't realize you couldn't defeat the Rev two-on-one. Solomon had given the two time to prepare for the rematch, and hopefully one of them would finally be strong enough to release him if this recent matter fell through.

"…Is there anything I should know, Rukko?" The Rev asked as he sat back down cross-legged in his chamber.

"Scouts report that they came across some human military recon craft a few hours ago. They left once they realized you were on the way," Rukko reported.

"You survive one orbital strike and the next thing you know the government won't acknowledge your existence," The Rev smiled. Not that he could blame them. How can the government acknowledge something it can't kill? Their only defense was to relegate all such discussion of him to urban legends and conspiracy forums.

"The reactor leak got fixed. Lorgans work hard and quick, and the radiation doesn't seem to bother them much," Rukko continued. Solomon nodded and waited for him to continue.

"And the scouts just collected this week's tribute," Rukko finished. "Enough food and dragonite to keep us going for another month."

Despite little more than being a rumor, certain elements of the frontier, while not desperate enough to join the horde itself, empathized with a rogue power that seemed to exclusively target pirates and the military. Though the Rev served no one, he found quite a few benefactors supplying him with the material necessary to continue his hunts, ranging from food from planetary agriculture worlds to weapons from Intersyn. Whatever needs didn't come from the tribute, the Rev would simply steal.

"Thank you, Rukko. That will be all for today." The Rev stated as he tipped his hat.

"Good night, Solomon," Rukko said as he closed the door.

Alone in the dark, the Rev attempted to sleep. A side effect of his mistake, pleasures of the flesh would elude him. Sleep eluded him, though he never felt tired anyway. Food had no taste, not that he needed it. He didn't crave warm bodies, not that he felt the urge to force himself on some unfortunate soul. All he could do was live until he found the cure, and in his quiet moments attempt to dream.

"…Hello, Solomon."

Solomon's eyes shot open. His visitor was leaning on a cane, the light from which illuminated the two shadows. His own was shaped like a man. The other wasn't.

"Still carrying that burden, I see?" the visitor said.

"Still wearing that skin," Solomon replied to the visitor.

"It's been a long time," the visitor. "How would you like to make another agreement?"

"I'm done dealing with you," Solomon sneered.

"Not satisfied?" the visitor asked.

"I wanted to control my fate. If I'd known this was the result, I'd have left you in that wretched tomb," Solomon growled.

"And perhaps your wording should have anticipated consequences better," the visitor replied. "However, fate is nothing if not serendipitous. How would you like to help me get my hands on some of my lost property, and in doing so… find someone capable of killing you?"

"…I'm listening."


	11. Amaralys

_Dr. Mara Morgan. Age: 23. One of the youngest graduates of the First Herodicus University of Medicine, she earned her license to practice surgery following her work on radical and experimental procedures regarding cybernetic deaugmentation. She earned scholarly acclaim not only for her prodigious studies through her academic career but for her thesis regarding the "Machine Sickness" documenting various medical side effects that infect the bodies of cyborgs and bio-androids. A scandal derailed her medical career after facts regarding her past came to light, though details remain confidential. Having lost her license, but not her knowledge and skills, "Dr." Mara has become a fixture in the criminal underworld, whether operating a back-alley cutting room or gaming the system to procure illicit substances for buyers. Escaping this line of work is her highest priority._

Chapter 11: Amaralys

_Their room was sparse and small, even for a child. Amaralys clutched her bear as she heard another round of laughter from a few doors down. She always wanted to see what it was all about. Whenever she told Mommy this, though, she always got really mad. It didn't make sense to Amaralys. If they were having fun, why did mommy always seem so tired and cranky when she came back so late?_

_Sometimes she roamed the hallways, saw other women who looked at her. They didn't seem as cranky as Mommy did. More like worried when they saw her. That made Amaralys worry, too. What was out there that seemed so scary?_

_Mommy opened the door, dropping her coat to the floor as she kicked her heels under the bed. Amaralys wondered if she ever felt cold outside, as her dress was really small. Mommy fell headfirst onto the bed, looking at her daughter at eye-level. "…Where's my tea?" she muttered, her voice sounding grumpy. Amaralys climbed up the chair to reach the microwave, remembering to grab the mittens before the cup. Gently, she placed it on the side of the bed, allowing the odor to waft into Mommy's nostrils._

"…_Bout time." Mommy whispered as she swung her sore feet onto the bed. "Today sucked. Barely made any money after that new place opened up. Someone should just light a match and torch that bitch to the ground for reaching into my pocketbook…" she began to softly ramble. Amaralys laid down on her mattress beside the bed, looking up at her mother as she continued her ramble._

"…_All your fault," Mommy said as she was about to pass out._

"…_I'm sorry," Amaralys replied._

"_You did this to me," Mommy continued._

"…_I know," Amaralys replied as she buried her face into her bear._

_Before sleep took her, she heard arguing on the other side of the doorway. Amaralys recognized one of the voices, one of the few men Mommy had let her see. She called him Mr. Krepes, though she also called him Mr. Creeps when they were alone. He usually had women around him, often different ones. Sometimes Mommy was one of them, but he'd never been in Mommy's room before._

_The door opened, and Mommy turned around to glare at the two men in the doorway. "Can you knock?" Mommy growled._

"_Shut up," Mr. Creeps snapped. He had slick and greasy hair and dressed in fancy clothes that Amaralys thought made him look like a clown. For reasons a young Amaralys couldn't explain, she didn't like him._

_It was then that she noticed the bald man beside him. He kind of looked like Mr. Creeps, only older and less… scary, she figured. He had an annoyed expression on his face as he crossed his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm a very busy man, Tommy, I'm don't have the time to watch over a child."_

"_And I don't run a daycare!" Mr. Creeps growled. "Keeping her around could send our clientele the wrong message. I don't want rumors to get out that we are catering certain… predilections," he explained._

"_Wow, breaking out the fancy words and moral grandstanding," the other said as he looked over Mommy. "And no mention of ulterior motives whatsoever, I'm impressed." Amaralys had a feeling he wasn't telling the truth._

"_Our sweetest Lylis here," Mr. Creeps motioned to Mommy. "Is moving on up in the world. From cocktail waitress to… personal service," he grinned in a way that made Amaralys shudder._

"_And you don't want the clients to see evidence of a previous rendezvous," the other man rolled his eyes._

"_I'm not a charity," Mr. Creeps growled at the man. "The food in their bellies and the clothes on their back came from me, I merely wish for due recompense."_

"_Which gives you license to exploit someone who came here as a scared pregnant teenager for the rest of her life," the other man sniffed. "Even separating her from her child like she's livestock."_

"_You don't have an issue with this, Lylis, do you?" Mr. Creeps asked._

"… _Just get her away from here…" Mommy said._

"_Mommy, please. What's going on?" Amaralys asked with tears in her eyes. The bald man strode around the bed and took her by the hand, gently but firmly._

"…_You'll be living with me for a while," the bald man said. "It's not what you want to hear, but it's better than this sorry place."_

_Amaralys fought back tears as the man took her past her Mommy and Mr. Creeps. "I'll… stay behind and look after sweet Lylis," Mr. Creeps spoke as the two left the room. The bald man glared daggers at the other, who shrunk back and raised his hands. "Honestly. I don't touch them when they're passed out."_

"…_If we weren't family," the bald man spoke as he took Amaralys from the room. "I'd pity the bastard who was," as he slammed the door behind him._

_Amaralys was in tears, clutching her bear beside her as she pulled against the bald man's grip. "W-where are you taking me?" she sobbed. "W-What's going to h-h-happen with mommy?"_

_The bald man looked down at her. "…How old are you?"_

"_F-F-five," she choked._

_The bald man stroked his hand down his face. "I am not good with kids…" he muttered. "I'm not going far. I live five blocks from here. Mommy will still be close and you can still see here. We're doing this for your protection, and for hers. You might not understand now, but it's for the best."_

"…_Who are you," she sniffed as she tried to collect herself._

"_My name is Raymond Krepes. I'm Tommy's older brother."_

"…_Hello, Mister Creeps," Amaralys muttered under her breath._

"_Hey!" he snapped, causing Amaralys to flinch. "…That's DOCTOR Creeps to you," he added with a small smile._

Mara rounded the corner to see Leilong glaring at her. She gulped and composed herself. The disaster on the bridge had affected everyone, most dramatically Jim. However, the relationship between her and Leilong had taken a hit as well. Leilong had confided in her his doubts and hesitations about the job, including what he had anticipated was to be a secret between the two of them about the Outlaw Star's bio-android, only to find that Mara had been selected specifically to target the poor girl.

"…How's the kid doing?" Mara began.

"He's pretty inconsolable right now," Leilong growled. "Can't say I'm doing so hot, either. Anything else you want to surprise me with? You planning on handing me back over to the Kei after we're done? Want to sell the kid while you're at it?"

Mara straightened her posture. "…The procedure will not be fatal."

Leilong blinked. "…I'm sorry?"

"Mr. Howard provided me with some schematics about the gynoid framework of VSD02C and some of Prof. Khan's designs and specifications. The particular piece of technology I was tasked with retrieving is implanted somewhere in the back of the neck, near the brainstem."

"I thought you said it wouldn't be fatal," Leilong muttered.

"In the hands of an amateur, probably. But I know I can keep that thing alive and unharmed. It's no different than removing a plug-in from a motherboard."

"…And do you know what exactly you're taking from her?" Leilong asked.

"A navigation chip. Nothing vital to the brain, more like an enhancer," Mara explained. "Worst damage it will do is it might have to spend a minute or two charting a course instead of seconds."

"…All this trouble for something like that?" Leilong asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Hey," Mara exclaimed as she held out her arms. "If you didn't like the job, why did you sign up?" she asked rhetorically.

"Because I really needed the money," Leilong answered.

"Likewise," Mara replied. "So spare me the high and mighty crap, I deal with that internally every day. I promise you, Leilong, if we work together, we can keep this from getting pear-shaped," she offered.

Leilong sighed. "…So, you want to break the news to the kid, or should I try again?"

"…I'd give him some time to cool off. I'll tell him when he does. It won't be pleasant, but I figure it's a fraction of the least I owe him," Mara exhaled.

"You sure you want to do that?" Leilong asked. "I mean, I can always…"

"It's fine, Leilong," Mara smiled, slightly. "I'm not bad with kids. Learned from the best."

_Dr. Raymond Krepes lived above his private practice. Downstairs he worked, and upstairs he rested. There wasn't much for a girl to do, so Dr. Krepes kept her busy with puzzles and books. Said books were usually pretty dry and a bit above her reading level, but Amaralys powered through to the point where she began assisting Dr. Krepes with maintaining his medical supplies and helping with some of the younger patients. It didn't take long for Dr. Krepes to see some nascent talent and intelligence within the young girl and had a conversation one day with his younger brother and her mother._

"_So, let's just say that we hashed out an agreement," Dr. Krepes said as he stirred his macaroni and cheese. He looked at her across the table as she stirred more milk into her bowl. "Private school. Your mom set up a little fund and I think we can arrange some scholarships to head your way. But, there are conditions," he said._

_Amaralys looked up from her bowl. "First, new name. That fact that you're coming from as horrible a place as Nereda will set off enough alarms. You make a new name, and we are going to practice going over your history over and over until it stops feeling like an embellishment."_

"_I mean, aren't you three small-time?" Amaralys asked as she added some cheese powder on top._

_Mr. Krepes ran a cocktail lounge aboveground and a brothel underneath it, which Dr. Krepes was a co-owner of. It was resilient as businesses went, and it slowly became more profitable with the ascension of one Lylis Silva as Mr. Krepes' primary lieutenant. She had a knack for keeping the employees in line, and never had an issue with loyalty after discovering one of the girls had been informing their competitors of the lounge's inner workings. All Dr. Krepes said of the issue was that "she made an example of that poor girl," and "Even Tommy asked me if she went too far."_

"_It would look bad for you if word got back that you were associated with people like us," Dr. Krepes explained._

"_Then why do you own half the building?" Amaralys asked._

"_Because, as much as I may want to, I… we," he stared down Amaralys, "Can't turn our backs on family."_

_Amaralys kept eye contact as she stirred her bowl. "Even when they're trying to join Intersyn?"_

"_The price you pay when you stay together despite your goals. I wanted to help people, he wanted to make money. In the end, I found it's hard to help people without some green backing your word, so we all make little compromises while we pretend to know what we're doing," he said, mostly to himself._

_His primary reason for involving himself in his little brother's business, aside from familial loyalty and a desire to keep his eye on his wayward sibling, was because the money he pulled in from that business allowed him to fund his own private clinic, without having to upcharge clients in a planet where frontier capitalism could be taken to extremes. It was less out of obligation to his fellow man, and more because he always felt it was best to solve problems his own ways, an issue that frequently caused him to butt heads with his associates in the medical community._

"_Next issue," he hardened his gaze. "Keep your nose clean, little girl. You know what that means?"_

"_Don't get caught," she answered as she shoveled a mouthful of oversaturated dairy into her mouth._

"_And don't cheat… for yourself," Dr. Krepes smirked. "Accept cash only and tell them to actually finalize the essays themselves. And don't take the same client twice. Remember, plausible deniability is your friend."_

_Amaralys grinned. Principles were ironclad, but ethics were flexible. This had been the motto of the Krepes brothers. It still sounded like nonsense to her, but Mom had been taking it to heart, among other things. She'd been politicking her way through the organization and was willing to do whatever it took to better her situation. Even if she had to, in her words, "Sleep with Creep." Amaralys remembered having to take a shower simply after hearing the phrase, though she couldn't hold it against her mother. Thanks to mom, both of their lives were significantly more comfortable than if she had remained a pregnant teenage runaway._

"_Finally," Dr. Krepes concluded, "you can make as many friends as you can, but don't bring them home. That goes for boyfriends."_

"_Uncle Ray," Amaralys shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She'd never been given much of an opportunity to socialize with kids her age unless they were patients. It was kind of embarrassing that some of her closest friends were the women who worked at the lounge, who doted on and spoiled the young girl whenever the opportunity arose. And they'd given her something of an… informal education as to how to handle and work around guys without anything physical, largely through how to flirt and tease._

"_Look, I'm divorced, so take what you will from this, but it is better to break their hearts than ruin your future," Dr. Krepes concluded._

"_I'll make a note of it, Uncle Ray," Amaralys nodded._

"_Good. And remember, kid, if you ever come across a great thing, and all you have to do is break away from this place, promise me you won't hesitate to make that decision," Dr. Krepes said. "I did, and now I just know I'm going to die on this planet. Please, don't make the same mistakes I did."_

Eddie was pacing in the hallway, rapping her knuckles against one another as she thought about what to do. She blew it, as usual. Made the kid damn near try to slam his head directly into her jawline. Awesome move, but everything around it, less so. It wasn't like this was anything new to her. She had called people worse names. And she wasn't even a person! Not really. So why did she feel so awful when she thought like that? So what if he hated her guts? What made her feel crappier than usual about this particular situation? She wondered what the best course of action was. Talk to Cade, or take more Jekyll? One or the other. Fortunately for her, option three just turned around the corner.

Mara came to a screeching halt as she locked eyes with Eddie. The girl let out a slightly manic grin upon seeing the object of her amusement face to face, one on one.

"So, you and Leilong were holding out on us about that android girl," Eddie's smile widened.

"Well, it's not like we could trust either of you with the info. Cade would have done something dangerous, and you would have done something stupid," Mara spat.

Eddie's eyes widened in shock. "Mara, that wasn't very nice. You've hurt my feelings," she taunted. "Now I have to make you pay."

"Pay?!" Mara snarled. "You want to make me pay?! I've been paying since the first moment we met! All you've done is harass me nonstop! I never did anything to you! Why?! What did I do that makes you such an insufferable bitch around me?!"

"…Because you act like you're above us," Eddie answered, approaching the other woman who she towered over by six inches. "You think your education and your background makes you better than us. You think your turds smell like roses, don't you? That we're just going to forget you're a runaway princess? That, when you can't use that brain of yours, your best weapons happen to be a pretty face and a-rockin' bod? Can you just admit that, Mara? Please? For me?"

Mara hated Eddie more and more with each passing second. At her worst, Eddie just had a talent for bringing out the worst in her. Mara didn't like to be aggressive, but Eddie left her with few options. All this woman did was taunt and bully her, because Mara made one bad decision that put her in contact with the worst person she ever met. And Eddie probably thought that SHE was that person! Mara fought back a laugh. Eddie cocked her head to the side. "What's this?"

"…I guess you're right," Mara quietly whispered.

Eddie's smile started to fade. "What?"

Mara looked at the other woman in the eyes. Her expression had changed. The side of her lip ticked upwards while her eyes took a leisurely appraisal of Eddie's body.

"Strip."

Eddie fought back a gulp. "Um, you, uh, you feeling OK?"

"Take them off," Mara goaded the woman, approaching her. "You want me so bad. I'll let you take me here and now," she continued as she began undoing her blouse. Eddie's eyes darted around the corridor, hoping to see if Cade or Leilong or Saiyo could come and make this too awkward for Mara to continue… whatever she was doing. Suddenly, she felt her back slam into the side of the wall as she looked down to see Mara staring into her eyes. "You want me, little girl? Well, here I am."

Eddie's tongue froze to the roof of her mouth. Of all the times she fantasized about hooking up with Mara, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Mara would be the aggressor. It was too good to be true. So why was she feeling so nervous now? How did this five-foot-three hot-ass actually manage to intimidate HER of all people?

"You going to start or what?" Mara teased.

"I…" Eddie slowly began to panic, trying to scramble away. Mara pinned her against the wall. "Fine, I'll do it for you," Mara stated. She ripped away Eddie's beanie, exposing the gash streaking along her forehead. For a brief moment, Mara seemed to snap out of her trance. "What the hell?" she said as she saw the wound. "Is that what Cade did to you?"

"…You know the story!" Eddie squealed in embarrassment, trying to break free of Mara's grasp.

"Funny, most guys just leave hickeys during a screw," Mara said as she returned to her previous demeanor, pawing at Eddie's jacket.

"HE WOULD NEVER!" Eddie screamed as she shoved Mara off of her, swiping back her beanie. "Cade never laid a finger on me like that!"

"But I thought you were his girlfriend?" Mara playfully teased. "You're telling me Cade never made you a real woman?" she taunted.

Eddie began to blush. "He… I respect him more than you would ever know! He saved my life, not that someone like you would ever appreciate something like that! He is the greatest man I've ever known!"

"And you've never even put out for him once?" Mara sneered. "So, if not him, then who?"

Eddie opened her mouth but then clamped it shut. Her pink hue suddenly began to turn bright red.

"I mean, considering how you've treated me, there's no use pretending sex is a touchy subject for you, little girl," Mara taunted as she took pleasure in seeing Eddie stutter and fumble. "Which rat-infested back alley did they take the plunge in? Do you remember any names? What was Eddie's first night like, I wonder? Unless…"

Eddie finally broke eye contact. Mara's eyes widened. "Oh… oh, Eddie, I… ah…eheheh…heheheh…A-HAHAHAHAHA!" Mara began to laugh.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Eddie screamed, tears streaking down her face.

"Big Bad Bitch Eddie Skorzeny is a VIRGIN!" Mara shrieked the final word so loudly everyone on the deck had to have heard it. "I should have figured all those sex-jokes were compensating for something! The cold-blooded killer of the frontier has never even had her cherry popped! Tell me, what else have you been lying about?" Mara grinned.

"I… I didn't… lie…" Eddie stated, weakly.

"What was that? Sorry, I'm not fluent in fraud," Mara taunted. The image of this badass woman quivering and shaking in humiliation was something Mara promised herself she would always treasure. "Sounds to me your mouth is writing checks your body won't cash!" she continued.

"Stop it!" Eddie choked out. "Please, I'm sorry."

By now the visual had almost become pathetic. Her most persistent menace was reduced to blubbering tears and was beginning to threaten to undermine her satisfaction. "Oh, tell someone who cares," Mara replied as she redid her blouse. "Why don't you go cry to Cade? He's the only one who gives a damn about you."

A defeated Eddie sauntered away from Mara as she felt a sense of triumph she hadn't felt in years. To think, all she had to do was a "mean girl" routine to emotionally devastate her second least favorite person on this ship. This must be what Leilong had felt every time he killed a target, she thought to herself. Beaming, an elated Mara practically skipped her way down the corridor to the mess hall.

_It had simply been the best day of her life. The most important day of her residency had just concluded. Mara stood in the center of the operator theater after finishing the procedure, awaiting the assessment of the presiding surgeons over her actions. Behind her, two medical students flanked a man laying on the table. He had been a convicted criminal, aided in his crime spree by cybernetic augmentations until recently. Now, his body was free of the mechanisms that gave him the edge against fellow criminals and innocent bystanders alike. It was the first action of its kind to be undertaken in the school, possibly in the galaxy._

_As Mara's assistants monitored the felon's vitals to any deviation, Mara oversaw her audience. Behind her facemask, she grinned as they whispered amongst one another, witnessing as Mara showed just how much of a gap there existed between her "peers" and a true surgical prodigy. This operation was supposed to have killed him, it being almost impossible to extract cybernetics of that extent from an organism without killing them. A part of her hesitated using a human test subject, having requested using a bio-android for the demonstration instead, but the ethics committee denied her request, settling on the much riskier convict. And yet as the all-clear signal was sounded and the subject stabilized, the sound of applause made the whole thing worth it._

_She took a bow as the presiding doctors extending their platitudes and congratulations, but Mara was looking in the audience for a specific someone. She finally found him, his tall and lanky frame standing out near the front row. She shot him a quick wink before turning her attention back to her professors._

_Assistant Professor Mikhail Chenkov was a young up and coming instructor looking for a full-time position within the university. Visitor from the International Volgolian Medical College, he and Mara had never crossed paths academically, being members of separate departments. They had met in the cafeteria after hours and had struck up a conversation, becoming close friends as the months had gone on. Of course, a professor, even a junior one, taking an interest in a medical student, even one only four years younger, could send the wrong impressions to the administration, so they had agreed to just remain friends for the time being, officially. Unofficially, they could enjoy certain benefits._

_As soon as they returned to Mara's dorm, the young professor threw her over his shoulder and carried her to bed. "Wait, Mik," Mara protested. "The champagne!"_

_The young doctor faked a growl. "Fine, I'll get the glasses. You better be in the appropriate attire when I get back, though."_

"_Yes, sir," Mara playfully giggled as she began to undress._

_An hour later, Mara and Mikhail lay sprawled and spent with one another, her head nestled in his shoulder._

"_Just think," Mara began as she stroked Mikhail's bare chest. "Tomorrow, I shall be Doctor Mara Morgan, cybernetics surgeon."_

"_Came quite a long way from that flustered little girl you were three years ago," Mikhail reminisced._

"_Is that a short joke?" Mara asked as she rolled onto him._

"_The thought didn't cross my mind," Mikhail joked as he pulled her head up for a kiss._

_Mara's early schooling often resulted in finding herself at odds with other students, usually girls. For the strangest reasons, she found it easier to befriend guys before other women. Maybe, in her personal opinion, the other girls had been threatened by someone who could be both attractive and intelligent. Or maybe she was just more comfortable playing poker than gossiping? Still, her early graduation had led her to college, where she eschewed most social activities to hone her craft. She had fewer friends in college than she did at her boarding school, and a large part of that came from her paranoia._

_The little cocktail lounge she and her mother had lived in had been demolished, and in its place was a forty-story luxury hotel that catered to the whims of the wealthy and the insatiable. Her mom was practically the face of the building, and the foremost hostess of this new pleasure palace. All thanks to a new deal with Intersyn, and with it, a ton of new dark rumors that Mara did not want to even entertain. She didn't want to think about Mr. Krepe's mysterious disappearance, or the alleged new employee policies, or the fact that she was now related to one of the most powerful rising crime lords of the frontier._

_No, this wasn't her problem anymore. Mikhail didn't need to know any of this. Neither did the school or the academic board. She was going to graduate at the top of her class, start her career in Oracion, and make sure all the sacrifices her mom and Dr. Krepes made meant something._

"_So, we doing anything fun tonight?" Mara asked as she rose off of him, straddling his chest._

"_I mean, I've got some grad students going over some papers tonight, so I don't have anywhere to be," Mikhail grinned._

_Mara swung her feet to the side of the bed. "So let's say we take a break and pick up where we left off?"_

_Mikhail looked her over. "…One last all-nighter?"_

_Mara stared him down through her lidded eyes. "No rest for the weary, that's my motto."_

_Mikhail let out a laugh as he got up to use the bathroom. Before he did, he stopped to check something in his coat pocket once Mara's attention was committed elsewhere. The small black box cost him quite a bit of his starting salary, but it was a small price to pay considering the woman had been responsible for keeping him sane throughout his stressful tenure. When the moment came, he'd ask her how much more she wanted._

_Mara sat at the kitchen table, looking through the e-mails she'd missed as her mind had been occupied by her final experiment. Some expired memberships, some spam, a few princes who needed loans, nothing yet about the board confirming her license. As she absentmindedly scrolled through the messages, one of the recent files caught her mind. It was from an address she hadn't seen before, but it was from Nereda._

_She opened the file and saw that it was a news article._

_GANG WAR COSTS LOCAL DOCTOR'S LIFE_

_Mara's eyes widened in horror as the picture showed a familiar-looking townhouse having erupted in flames, and the picture of the deceased stared back at her with those familiar eyes. Dr. Raymond Krepes. Dead at 65._

_When Mikhail exited the bathroom, he found an inconsolable Mara sobbing over her computer. The following morning, before the arrival of her certificate, Mara had left the university on the first flight back to Nereda. Two weeks later, her license would be suspended, and Mara Morgan would vanish into the seedy underworld of the galaxy._

Mara pulled a soda from the fridge, snapping off the cap as she collected herself. She was so close to fulfilling her obligations to Mr. Howard and leaving this crew forever. Eddie leaving in tears was one thing, but never having to see any of these people again would be another. Nothing against Saiyo and Leilong, but her life was long overdue to get back on track. She smiled as she took a sip.

As she turned, she noticed Cade sitting on the chair, his VIPA device sitting on the table across from him. He didn't seem to be paying her any mind. This was usually preferable, but Mara was in such a good mood, what harm could there be in getting a rise out of Cade?

"Your partner is a sobbing mess right now. You might want to check on her," she mentioned off-handedly.

Cade didn't even look up. The VIPA device was humming, its dancing bars processing something Mara couldn't interpret.

"You know what I found out. If Eddie is driving you up a wall, just call her a virgin and she'll run away screaming," Mara laughed.

Cade looked up. "…And this is funny to you?"

"I mean, if you talk up such a big game and cannot even come close to backing it up, you pretty much deserve what you get, right?" Mara asked.

"…I suppose," Cade responded. "Then again, I suppose the reason she talks so much trash is that she's insecure. She never exactly had the healthiest outlook regarding sex. I guess nearly being raped will do that to someone. Maybe it's why she's scared of being vulnerable, better to play the part of the predator than that of the prey and whatnot."

Mara felt her stomach go queasy. She knew she went for a low-blow, but she wasn't prepared to throw something quite THAT low. She just wanted Eddie to go away, not reopen an old wound.

"Well… maybe you should just talk to her about that. Try to make sure she stays out of trouble?" Mara offered.

Cade snorted. "And just why would I do something like that?"

"Eddie… she thinks the world of you. You are the only one she will ever listen to. I think… I think she loves you," Mara replied.

"She does," Cade answered. "She told me as much after taking some Jekyll. She's free to feel as she does, who am I to say otherwise?"

Mara stared at the black-clad gunner. The casualness in how he acknowledged and dismissed his partner's affection rattled her. This scumbag was leading her on like it was nothing.

"…Why are you such a bastard?" Mara asked, voice level and measured.

Cade looked up at her, stroking his chin over his face-wrap. "…I believe in focusing on the things I'm good at and negating the things I am not. Eddie's reliability is my pre-eminent concern, and I shall only intervene upon the possibility that her mental health will compromise it."

"Are you kidding me?!" Mara shouted. "That girl is willing to die for you and you're just thinking about how useful that makes her?! Are you that awful with people that you'd rather let her die than make sure she's OK?!"

"Why doctor, isn't keeping us alive your job?" Cade answered.

The shriek Mara gave out could be heard throughout most of the ship. She lunged across the table, grabbing Cade by the collar of his shirt as she forced him out of the seat. "THIS IS WHY I CAN'T STAND YOU!" Mara screamed as Cade glanced at her with the faintest look of annoyance.

"Oh, I thought it was because I "ruined your life," or something," Cade replied.

Mara wondered which sharp object she could reach quick enough to open Cade's jugular. Cade looked down the corridor as Leilong came from one direction, and not long afterward Eddie came from the other. The moment Eddie saw Mara threatening Cade, she activated her stun batons to rush her, only to be blocked by Leilong. Leilong took the moment to see Eddie's eyes were red and puffy.

"What's going on here?" Leilong asked as he stared at the two.

"We were just about to have a calm and thoughtful conversation about just why Amaralys finds herself in our company," Cade began.

Mara wanted to jab a syringe into his neck to shut him up, and another into her own so she didn't have to explain anything. The week she returned to Nereda had been the worst week of her life, bar none. Nothing was worth going back to relive those days.

"…Mara, let Cade go," Leilong slowly asked as Eddie reluctantly dropped her batons to her sides. Mara then heard the sound of a hammer being cocked back and felt a barrel pressed against her stomach. She glared down Cade. "…You wouldn't kill me," he said. "Even if you could, you don't have what it takes. That's why you hired me in the first place."

Mara shoved Cade back as she stormed away from him. Eddie brushed past Leilong, shoving Mara aside as she checked up on Cade, who insisted nothing was wrong and that it was best he went back to work. Leilong grabbed Mara by the arm as she was about to pass. "What happened?" he asked.

"Just leave me alone!" Mara snapped, humiliated.

Leilong looked over to Cade, who had returned to his seat as Eddie glared at Mara. "I guess Doctor Mara can tell you the full story. I'm not much for gossip."

Mara shook off Leilong's grasp as she stormed away. Memories of the lost week filled her head. The funeral. The handshake. The argument. The bedchamber. The cellphone. The bodies. The truth was that she couldn't boil down a single moment where her life was ruined, but a few bad decisions that would haunt her for the rest of her life, culminating in the massacre at the hands of Cade Black. And all because when he asked if she had any preferences to how she wanted the job done, she, to her eternal shame, had answered, "by any means necessary."


	12. Clarity

_Bio-androids. To some, a vital step in the ever-evolving needs and developments of civilization. To others, a monument to humanity's arrogance. Questions regarding the sentience of these manufactured beings, and the rights and privileges that such matters would entail, are routinely asked and debated around Earth and the inner colonies of the federation. On the frontier, however, most bio-androids would do well to keep their status secret. Prejudices, suspicion, and attitudes some would construe with bigotry are rampant where synthetic humanoids are concerned. To many, bio-androids are built from the ground up to serve true humans, designed for service in all capacities that such functions would entail. A popular slogan for such supporters is as follows; "Only human blood spills, only human tears fall, only humanity rises!"_

Chapter 12: Clarity

_Melfina looked out at the city skyline as she sat on the bed. This had been the third time they had returned to Sentinel III, and they were scheduled to take off at the end of the week. Gene had left to run some "errands" and Mel had left to go for a midnight stroll. Jim and the others hadn't suspected anything, and the two would rendezvous downtown half an hour later. If they returned before sunrise, no one would be any wiser, Gene had insisted._

_Melfina tried to smooth out her bathrobe as she shifted on the waterbed. She had been nervous since she and Gene had begun dating. He had been very withdrawn initially, hesitating to open up to her. Eventually, he confessed that he had "picked up some bad romantic habits" and was worried he'd do something that would hurt her. Melfina had told him that she understood, would not hold anything from his past against him, and above all, trusted him. Those last few words had radically altered Gene's temperament and had been the genesis of a new chapter of their relationship._

_Gene had been spending more and more time with her, teaching her how to repair a car in the event he or Jim could not be available. He'd also been teaching her about how to deal with and talk to people, learning how to recognize the difference between someone who needed help and someone trying to scam or trick her. And sometimes he'd taken her to a field somewhere remote and taught her how to shoot a pistol. Mel had taken to these things enthusiastically, and Gene had been a good teacher when all was said and done._

_Still, it was apparent that there was something of a barrier between them. Gene one night confessed that he still felt guilty about that night before the duel with Leilong, and didn't trust himself not to repeat the same mistake in the future. So, upon their return to Sentinel, Melfina offered a proposition that made Gene drop his coffee the moment she suggested it. They would try it, once, and if they didn't like it would never do or speak of it again. To Melfina, it seemed like a logical choice, and didn't understand why her boyfriend would wonder why she "of all people" would ever suggest something called a "one-night stand."_

_The water to the shower cut off. Mel looked as the towel-clad figure came out to join her on the bed. He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her torso as she felt his breath on her neck. She turned to look him in the eyes. "…You've been here before?"_

"…_Yeah," Gene answered, reluctantly. "Not going to lie, I was surprised by how cheap the rooms were. I guess most of the charge goes to the girl."_

"_I don't think they liked me very much," Melfina added, remembering the nasty looks she had gotten as she entered the hallway with Gene._

"_They just don't like it when you bring your own, I guess," Gene answered._

"_Gene, I thought I brought you?" Melfina said as she looked at him._

"_Well next time, you can explain that to them," Gene grinned._

"_Yeah… next time…" Mel said as she looked down._

"…_What's wrong?" Gene asked as he rubbed her back._

"…_Are you thinking of selling the Outlaw Star?" she asked._

_Gene was taken aback by the change in subject. "Why?"_

"_It's expensive, and all you and Jim ever talk about is money. And I just hate seeing you two upset at each other. And… If you do go through with it, then it would mean…"_

_She began to blush. "…I think I'd lose a part of myself."_

_Gene grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close. "Melfina, the ship isn't going anywhere, and you especially are not."_

"_It's just that…" Melfina gulped. "…I've been having these thoughts. In them, you sell the ship, and you sell me with it."_

_Gene was shocked. "…What? Why?!"_

_Melfina gathered her courage. "Because I'm afraid if anything happens to the Outlaw Star, I'll stop being useful," she admitted. "You and Jim would just move on and I'm just… left behind," she confessed. It was her deepest, darkest fear. The thing that crossed her mind whenever the arguments between Gene and Jim flared up. Whenever Gene candidly flirted with other women. Whenever Suzuka or Aisha left for days on end. Whenever she was alone at the office and unable to sleep._

_Gene slowly released her shoulders. "…Mel… is that why you wanted to come here? So you could be… useful?" he asked, calmly, though his eyes told a different story._

_Mel looked away, tears welling in her eyes. She was afraid this was going to happen. She knew she was going to mess it up. She ruined everything, and now Gene wouldn't want anything to do with her. Saving her from the Leyline had been a mistake and she never should have-_

_A pair of lips planted tenderly on hers. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, pulling her close as she felt warm and secure. Gene felt her trembling begin to subside, her breathing slowed as her heartbeat pressed against his._

"_Melfina," he said as they broke off. "I never want to let you go."_

_Melfina's first time was one of the most memorable events of her short life to that point, and absolutely one of the most pleasant. Gene proved himself to be a VERY good teacher, walking her through the art of lovemaking while making sure Mel never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable. That being said, he was a poor timekeeper, falling asleep afterwards alongside her and not waking up until sunrise. The rest of the crew had never let him hear the end of it for the rest of the week, although they took care to keep her outside of the mockery. Despite everything, Melfina was unashamed of her first night and took care to remind Gene of that every time they were together since._

Melfina exited the tank; catching her breath as Gene checked over the course she had previously set. Gene had been piloting the ship for over twenty-four hours, not moving an inch from his seat the moment they left the Tiohara spaceport. He'd barely spoken a word, even as Suzuka and Aisha left their auxiliary consoles to tend to other matters.

"…I'm going to get dinner ready," Melfina announced.

Gene grunted in affirmation. "…Would you like anything in particular?" she asked.

He just kept looking at the console, calculating the time until they reached the nearest nebula. "…Going to have to ask that sack of festering idiocy for some other coordinates…" he muttered under his breath.

"Gene," she approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. He bristled, only to relax when he realized who it was. "…Sorry," he said, apologetically. "Dinner sounds great," he continued, not putting his heart into his responses.

"…You should get some sleep," Mel said, firmly.

"We're close, Mel, I just know it!" Gene snapped. "And I have to be ready when I find them!"

"Gene, tell me," Mel asked, patiently. "…Are you in any condition to fight like this? Or save anyone?"

Gene looked into the dashboard instruments, his barely illuminated reflection glancing back at him. He had bags under his eyes, and his reflexes probably weren't holding up as well as they should be if he found himself in combat. He rested his head against the dash. "…Food sounds great."

"And bed," Melfina offered. "Gilliam will let us know if he locates something."

"Gene, your vitals look dangerously erratic. I agree with Melfina, a light powernap could make a world of difference," the voice overhead suggested.

"Gilliam, the instant you locate the Shangri-La, I want to know immediately," Gene announced as he pried himself from the seat. "Keep my food warm, I think I'll go rest my eyes," Gene muttered as he made his way to their quarters. Melfina watched as Gene sauntered away, considering that maybe he needed a little more than rest. She shook her head, going to the kitchen to prepare a meal for all fi- all four crewmembers.

Suzuka sat by the counter, having prepared herself some tea as Melfina approached, looking for her apron. Suzuka peeked up from her cup, blowing the steam as Melfina began digging for utensils. "…I'm impressed," Suzuka said, almost causing Melfina to jump. "I didn't think you'd be able to pry him from the cockpit without some… underhanded tactics."

Mel just reached for some rice as she prepared the oven. "…I don't think either of us are really in the mood."

"Maybe I'm not talking about anything romantic," Suzuka offered. "Maybe I'm considering other angles. Maybe a warm body just requires something physical, and the mind will center itself afterward."

Melfina glowered at the assassin. "Suzuka, we are friends. But please, our love-life is none of your business."

"I apologize," Suzuka said as she bowed her head. "Just trying to give you two something to think about other than worry."

"Aren't you worried?" Melfina asked, incredulously as she nearly spilled the bag of rice.

"I am, and it does no service whatsoever to Jim," Suzuka answered. "We are doing is all we can for his sake. Solutions come from calm and rational minds, fear only adds problems."

Melfina took the advice to heart. "…I just wish we could all think as clearly as you," she added with a sad smile.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. This isn't coming easily," Suzuka smiled in return. "I've been replaying that fight I had with the one named Eddie ever since we got on the ship. I've been trying to figure out how to counter her when we meet again."

"And?" Melfina asked as she put her arms on the counter, listening intently.

"…I don't think I can beat her," Suzuka whispered.

"WHAT?!" Melfina yelled out loud, forcing Suzuka to cover her mouth.

"Not so loud!" she hissed. "That… woman, her fighting style, her… mentality…" she admitted, the words alone sounding like they caused her pain. "It's like she was tailor-made to counter people like me."

Suzuka was one of the last people Melfina ever thought would admit defeat. Even now, Suzuka seemed less than thrilled about even entertaining the thought. Mel grabbed Suzuka's hands, pulling them towards her. "Suzuka, don't give up hope! You're the toughest fighter on this ship! If anyone can beat her, I know it's…"

"Aisha," Suzuka replied.

Melfina blinked. "…What?"

"The qualities in my fighting that make me vulnerable to someone like this Eddie… are completely absent in Aisha. She calls upon no magic, her skin makes her invulnerable to anything Eddie threw at me, and there is no disruption Eddie can summon that Aisha cannot overpower. Just as Eddie is tailor-made to defeat me, Aisha is the perfect candidate to bring down Eddie." Suzuka leaned in and whispered to Melfina. "And I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell her I said this. She will never let me live this down, no matter how many more times I beat her in spars."

Melfina watched as Suzuka regained her composure. Suzuka looked back to see the sides of Melfina's mouth slowly turn upwards as she covered her smile. To her credit, she put forth a valiant effort not to laugh as Suzuka turned away to protect her dignity.

"…Please don't tell her," Suzuka repeated.

"…What's… What's in it for me?" Melfina replied as she let a giggle escape.

"…I'll work kitchen duty for a week," Suzuka offered.

"Deal," Melfina said as she passed the apron over the counter. "I'm thinking something basic, today. Chicken and rice. Keep the pepper to a minimum, you know how Aisha gets about generously applied spice," Mel sang as Suzuka tied the apron.

"And where are you off to?" Suzuka asked as she rounded the bar.

"…I think you have a point," Melfina admitted. "There isn't any use in being afraid."

"…Melfina," Suzuka began.

"I'll be back in a few," Melfina said as she went down the corridor.

Aisha once again found herself on sentry duty. She pawed through the magazine again, letting the foldout do the article's job. She snickered, wondering if Melfina knew about her boyfriend's collection. She was so engrossed in her literature that she didn't hear the clicking heels until it was too late.

"Anything good, Aisha?" Melfina asked.

Aisha leaped up, the magazine flying into Melfina's hands. She glanced it over. "Oh, the Miss October issue," she said as she looked over the cover. "Hyun-Lee Song. Gene says she's dating her agent, and that's why she doesn't do nudes," she said, nonplussed.

As someone who had spent a significant portion of her time naked, Melfina hardly felt threatened by other women's bodies. She was confident with her figure, and over time had grown accustomed to Gene's wandering eye when they were in public, though it had slowly become less of an issue as time went on and as Melfina slowly became the girlfriend of his dreams. The magazine was another holdover of Gene's previous life, and one he was ready to get rid of until Melfina fell in love with some of the swimsuits featured, therefore allowing the collection to grow.

"If you aren't too busy," Melfina said as she handed over the magazine. "I think Suzuka could use an extra set of hands."

Aisha looked towards Melfina, and then towards the hatch at her feet. She traded glances between the two, and Melfina betrayed a sigh. "…OK, I need to talk to him."

Aisha stood her ground, shaking her head. "…Please?" Melfina asked. Aisha folded her arms. "…OK, fine. You can keep standing guard, and if anything happens, I'll let you know," Melfina tried to placate. Aisha still wouldn't budge.

Melfina dropped her shoulders. "…I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I know where Suzuka is hiding her sushi."

Aisha's ears began to perk up. Suzuka, after a week of fighting with the feline alien over her lunch, had managed to hide her meals so well even Aisha couldn't sense it. The only reason Aisha never tore the office or ship apart was largely that she didn't want to betray her desperation. Aisha slowly licked her lips.

"…It's in the overhead compartment in Jim's quarters. The one he can't reach without a stool," Melfina confided. "All I ask is five minutes. Deal?"

Harry sat in the cargo hold and fumed. He drummed his fingers against his arm in precise rhythmic beats. Here he was, at the mercy of the one guy in the galaxy he hated more than anyone, a prisoner while the Shangri-La was in the hands of a bunch of amateur hired guns. The indignity had been eating away at him ever since he stepped foot on the ship, and had doubled when Gene locked him in the basement. Knowing Starwind, the moment his partner was clear, he would probably detonate the Shangri-La the moment Harry stepped foot on it. It would just be like him. Removing the one thing that could ever get between him and-

The hatch above opened. Harry didn't even want to acknowledge that asswipe, staring ahead as he climbed down the rungs. He was about to say something horrid when SHE began to speak. "…Harry?"

Immediately, Harry pulled himself to his feet. He finally had a good look at her without that stupid animal pawing and blocking her. Her hair had grown out since last they met, tied off in the back with a ponytail that reached her shoulder blades. She wore a black blouse, with a blue leather jacket over it, with a short skirt and leggings below.

"Melfina!" he exclaimed in delight as he approached her. She took a step back, holding her hands in front of her. "From there will be fine," she announced.

Harry hesitated. His angel was here to see him. This was perfect; she had to recognize how he felt about her. He was the only one who could understand what she went through. He knew how normal people treated people like them, like HER. She had to finally understand by now!

"Harry, I've been doing some thinking," Melfina began. "And there are three things I need you to know."

"Yes, angel," Harry nodded. "I've been waiting to talk to you for so long. I'm just so happy you're safe!"

"Right," Melfina nodded. "That was the first thing I wanted to talk to you about. You… saved my life," she admitted. "And the cost of your own. It's something I've thought about everyday since. And I'm actually… kind of happy to know that you're OK."

Harry let out a smile. She did understand. His actions did make a difference to her. His true feelings said everything they needed to say.

"Melfina, I cannot begin to tell you how long I've been waiting to hear those words. When I get my ship back, what do you say we take off together, just the two of us!" he started. "When Ron recovers, we'll give the ship back to him, but we'll still be together, it'll be…"

"It will never happen!" Melfina snapped.

Harry came back to earth just in time to see the look on Melfina's face. Her previous warmth was gone. She just stared at him, not blinking. Harry realized that he had never seen Melfina angry before. Possibly ever.

"Second thing," Melfina began. "We are never going to be a thing, Harry. Ever."

"But," Harry tried to collect himself. "You said you were happy I was made out OK?"

"I was. I am," Melfina's expression softened. "But whatever you think is between us, Harry, does not exist from where I stand. Whatever you want from me, I cannot give you. And if you want me with you, that is something I don't want to do."

"Melfina, I don't understand," Harry tried to make sense of what he was hearing. "We're the same, I'm the only one who knows what you're going through. All I want is for you to be happy!"

"Like when you helped to kill the one person who saved me from the pirates?" Melfina asked. "Like when you tried to kill my friends, people who I care very much about, time after time! Like the time your brother tried to buy me, you tried to kidnap me, and when I said no, you struck me!" Melfina said, her voice slowly rising as she remembered all the pain she felt at the hands of the MacDougals. "Is that your idea of love?!"

Harry couldn't say anything. He remembered the times he tried to invade her sanctuary, where she was at her most vulnerable. He remembered shooting at her as he tried to finally kill Starwind. He remembered how terrified she was when he broke into her office, striking at her with the flowers he brought, and finally knocking her unconscious in a fit of anger.

Harry now understood why Melfina would never leave Starwind for him. Gene had taken in a girl with no past, no future, and too many enemies, and gave her a home, friends, and purpose. All Harry had ever given her was reasons to despise him. Finally, the truth he had been avoiding for months had been revealed. Gene Starwind had completely defeated him, taking the one person Harry wanted more than anyone else in the galaxy, and Harry had no one to blame but himself.

"I… I can make it up to you…" Harry tried to offer; the words sounding hollow even to him.

"Harry, just…" Melfina stopped him. "…After we're done with this, I don't think… It's probably for the best that we don't see each other again after this."

The two spent a minute standing across from one another, not saying another word. It was a heavy silence, broken only by the ships ambience. Harry's body stood motionless, his mind a whirlwind of anger, guilt, and sorrow. Melfina managed to find her voice to finish what she came down to do.

"…But we need your help, Harry," she said. "We can't save Jim without you. You know what we're going up against better than any of us." She extended her hand out to him. "…If you really cared about me, if knowing I'm happy is that important to you, I would like you to join us in the cockpit. The only way any of us can win this is if we all are on the same page," she offered.

Harry stared down at her hand. It was so soft, delicate, seeming so fragile. Yet he felt that taking this hand would irrevocably change his world forever. Taking this hand meant saying goodbye, meant no longer accepting his dream as his future. It meant that Melfina was not, had not, and would never be his. Harry was grateful for his purely synthetic frame. It meant no one would see his tears as he took her hand.

As Gene left his quarters, he saw Harry brush past him without saying a word. "What the hell?!" he snarled, angrily reaching for his gun.

"Gene!" Melfina interrupted as she grabbed his arm. "We reached an agreement. Harry knows the area better than us, knows people we can talk to!"

"And I can fly the ship for longer," Harry added. "You look like someone who's going to pass out if you keep up like you have been."

"Wise-ass!" Gene snarled.

"GENE!" Melfina got between the two. "…Let Harry take the lead on this, please. For Jim?"

Gene glared at Harry, who didn't even meet his eyes. _Shifty bastard, _Gene quietly thought to himself. He could stomach coming to Harry for intel, but letting him fly HIS ship? Gene barely trusted his half his crew with the pilot's seat, let alone one of his enemies.

"I'll let you know when I find something," Harry said as he continued to the cockpit.

"Like hell you're going there by yourself!" Gene growled.

"He's not," Melfina interrupted. "I'm going with him."

"No you are not!" Gene snapped. "Not with everything he's tried to pull in the past."

"He has nowhere left to go and no one left to turn to. He couldn't betray us even if he wanted to," Melfina replied. "I get you don't like each other, but right now, Jim needs more from us than us being at each other's throats."

Gene watched as Harry reached the lift. He gritted his teeth, wondering if he could get one of the others to chaperone the two, if not take the responsibility himself. "…I don't like it," he muttered.

"And I don't like Jim being abducted more," Melfina shot back. So just leave this to us, and we all get what we need form each other," she said as she left after Harry. She felt something grip her arm. Turning back, she saw Gene trying to pull her with him.

"…I'll be fine, Gene," Melfina tried to smile. "I have you three watching my back. Just... trust me with this, please."

* * *

Syd brushed the snack-bags from his console as he checked the navigation instruments. The slovenly hauler-captain was on the books for transporting mineral ore for a local mining company based out of an asteroid cluster. The weapons layered underneath were mostly incidental, as was the paycheck for said weapons. Freelance smuggling was a lucrative career in frontier space, provided you had solid clientele and the means to deter would-be bandits. He picked up a transmission from an unknown source. Groaning, he rolled his eyes as he activated the receiver.

"Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying."

A familiar face he hadn't seen in months popped on the screen, even through his mask.

"Cade!" Syd announced, squealing in delight. "Oh, man, I did not expect to see you so soon. You got that package, right? Man, that wasn't easy to find, but I always find a way, don't I baby?"

"It's nice to have someone I trust," Cade replied. "That VIPA has saved my hide more than once. My compliments to the creator."

"I'll be sure to tell her that," Syd grinned. "She misses you, y'know. Always asked when you'll show up again."

"Does she now?" Cade asked, skeptically.

"Well, not literally, obviously," Syd joked. "She likes someone who's as good at conversation as she is!" he laughed.

"Well, I have a favor to ask you," Cade said.

"And there it is," Syd snorted. "Charming as an adder, as always,"

Cade almost blushed at the compliment. "I have some guests following me. Red grappler ship. If you come across them, tell them that you saw the gold ship heading towards the Black Ether Sea."

"Planning something big?" Syd asked.

"Business," Cade replied.

"Well, I'd love to, but I don't think I've heard the magic word," Syd said as he looked away.

"Standard finder's fee," Cade said.

Lighting up, Syd checked his navigation equipment for any oncoming traffic. "It will be done, Dunk,"

"Don't call me that," Cade snapped.

"Yeah, yeah," Syd sniffed. "Oh, and send Eddie my love," he winked.

"Maybe if you lost a couple dozen pounds she'd return it," another voice from off the screen shot back."

"There she is!" Syd laughed. "You know you can't resist me."

Eddie peeked her head on screen. "Yeah, gravity doesn't quite work like that, you porky bastard."

"And you'd never want to leave when I'm through with you," Syd grinned sleazily.

"Cade, the minute Callaway has had enough with this guy, please let me know so I can kill him myself," Eddie growled.

"Not now, Eddie," Cade tried to placate. "So yeah, red grappler ship, Black Ether Sea."

"Noted, now if you'll excuse me, I've got company to take care of," Syd said as he killed the transmission.

He activated the topside autocannons and port-side/starboard-side missile launchers. The three grappler craft froze in their tracks. "Ain't nothing in this rig worth dying over!" Syd snarled over the transmitter. He looked at the make of the grappler-craft. Retrofitted mining vessels, not the deliberately designed combat craft of the modern era. That meant he knew who they were working for.

"Ask your boss about Syd Harper, will ya?" He snapped. "We have a deal, you rank amateurs! You don't touch one of Callaway's guys, even if you guys run with the Rev!"

The lead craft wordlessly activated its thrusters and pulled off, the other two following in its wake. "Yeah, that's what I thought!" Syd barked as he continued his path.

"…You heard that, right guys?" Leif asked his two compatriots.

"Red grappler ship, yeah," Beaux snickered.

"Lucky break for us, Boss has been looking for that guy and we stumble across him," Randy cheered. "And the kid ain't too far out either!"

"Well, boys, looks like either way it plays out, someone is gonna meet the Rev," Leif grinned as the three entered sub-ether space.


	13. Ultimatum

_In the insatiable quest to locate and excavate dragonite, mining facilities on frontier worlds were often titanic feats of engineering. A single site that handles excavation, processing, housing and shipping for mineral wealth could often extend for kilometers as far as the eye could see. Digging magnate Horace Brinebach, operating off of a tip from a dear family friend, spent a fortune constructing one such facility on the very edge of the frontier, a short distance away for the inhospitable Black Ether Sea. Mysteriously, the facility, its employees and even its owner seemingly vanished into the recesses of space, though some speculate that should the location remain intact, it would provide a perfect base of operations for the legendary outlaw hideout known as the Carnival._

Chapter 13: Ultimatum

_Jacob Callaway entered the bar to the hero's welcome he usually met with. The captains raised their glasses, the girls winked, and the rowdiest and drunkest among them started to chant and sing of victories so as never to forget. The interstellar cowboy looked over his people, his salt-and-pepper mustache hiding some of his aged features as he mingled with his desperados. This bar rested atop one of the many industrial towers, overlooking the mountainside whereupon many landing pads lay jutting off the sides. This was the Carnival, his kingdom and prize for spanking the Ban so badly that the very word Callaway was something so utterly vile in their leadership that it was rumored some of the top dogs killed lower-ranking pirates simply for uttering it in earshot. He grinned as he sat at the bar, ordering up his usual as he shot a glance at the woman sitting across from him._

"…_What's a fine seat like you doing on an ass like that?" Jacob joked. The raven-haired woman turned to him, her lip ticking upwards as she rested her arms on the table. She was young, but Jacob considered her the best treasure hunter in the club, bar none. She was one of the last outlaws he had personally sponsored, before leaving such duties to other captains he somewhat trusted. Her yellow eyes tracked the drink as it landed in his waiting palm._

"_Well, boss, I haven't seen you in quite some time. What's her name?" Hilda asked._

"_Oh, Hilda, I'm a gentleman. I'd never kiss and tell," Jacob laughed as he swigged down his drink. "Rides like a bronco, though."_

"_So, I hear you're gathering up another crew," Hilda said as she cracked her neck while adjusting her position to face her old captain._

_Jacob just sighed. "I think my days riding through the stars are done, Hot Ice. I'm feeling my age, the last thing I ever expected was growing old."_

"_People like us don't often get to retire," Hilda assessed. "I heard about Absalom."_

_Jacob winced. Absalom was the one "peer" of his he didn't exactly miss. Maybe he was a romantic, but Silas's idea of freedom never really meshed with his own. He enjoyed brutalizing others so much that Jacob wondered why he didn't just go full pirate. Not that it mattered much now._

"_Silas bit off more than he could chew," Jacob said as another drink slid towards him. "Just like I warned him. I thought that when his luck ran out, it would have been at Solomon's hands." Though he spoke privately to Hilda, uttering that name seemed to have an effect on the atmosphere. The rowdy crowd became a bit quieter, the music over the speakers began to skip, and even the air felt a bit chillier._

"_So the rumor was true," Hilda said as she leaned forward. "It was one of his own."_

_Jacob looked down at his drink. "…The kid just wanted somewhere he could collect his bearings. Offered a good portion of the last haul he was on to lay low here for a while, him and his lady-friend."_

"_You don't think it'll put you in a tough spot with any of Silas's old friends?" Hilda asked._

"_No," Jacob shook his head. "From the sounds of things, there was so much infighting in the gang that followed that the kid barely had to shoot his way out. And it sounds like some merc group in Einhorn sent one of their up-and-comers to finish off the survivors. Ashur, I think his name was." _

"_So, what are they up to now?" Hilda asked as the bartender dropped some more ice in her drink._

"_Well, the lady-friend isn't making many friends in the Pit," Jacob laughed. "They just cleaned house a week ago, took the pot for themselves. Lorenzo might want to find another line of work unless he can learn to enjoy having his leg bend like that."_

"_Fascinating," Hilda said as she rose from the stool, inhaling her drink as she left wong on the table. "Well, I need to get back to Horus. I want to follow up a lead on something promising with the Kei Guild."_

"_You need some help?" Jacob asked. "I got a lot of ships and guns with nowhere to go."_

"_I got Marx and O'Malley watching my tail. Besides, you know me," Hilda winked. "I always prefer to recruit local." She gave him a peck on the cheek and was about to leave when Captain Guzzo burst through the doorway._

"_Captain Callaway!" he got out as he tried to catch his breath. "You have to get to the market level!"_

"_If it's another duel, tell them the usual," Jacob replied, dismissively. "Not on public grounds, take it outside."_

"_It's Solomon!" Guzzo exclaimed. "He's trying to kill the new guy!"_

_The kid careened into another magazine stand, with travelogues and erotic literature alike fluttering in the air as the necrotic brawler grabbed him by the collar and landed another punch. The section had been cleared out the moment the wraith singled him out, leaving only the four of them._

_His "partner" was currently restrained by a Ctarl warrior, arms wrapped behind her, and forced to her knees as she could only shriek and curse through her tears as her savior was being beaten to death._

_The kid had scrambled to find something to use, anything to turn this fight around. He'd tried escaping, tried offering a deal, even tried double-teaming the bastard with his partner. Nothing worked. As he felt a sharp knee dig into his spine, he thought of his home. The creature's withered hands wrapped around his throat, forcing him to look the creature in the eyes. "And you were the one to kill Silas? What a joke!"_

_A bullet tore into the creature's skull. The kid scrambled away as its body fell lifelessly to the ground. The girl managed to wriggle free of her captor and rushed to join the kid._

"_Are you alright?" Jacob asked as he holstered his revolver. Hilda had joined him on the run down, offering a hand to the kid, who swatted it away, seemingly disgusted by her concern. "…Edwina," he muttered to the girl. "Let's get back to the room."_

"_Yes, Dunk," Edwina said as she picked him off the floor._

"_I told you not to call me that," Dunk bristled._

_The Ctarl warrior folded his arms as Jacob approached him. "Rukko, is it?" the legendary outlaw began. "How long is he going to be out?"_

"_Well, that's a fine hello, Jacob," the creature spoke as Hilda, Dunk, and Edwina turned to look on in horror as it picked itself from the ground._

"_Is that any way to treat an old friend?"_

_Jacob angrily stormed up to the creature, shoving him. "WE HAD AN ARRANGEMENT! OR DOES THAT NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU, YOU FESTERING CORPSE?"_

_The creature turned to glare at Dunk. "Silas was mine, Jacob. We both agreed to it."_

"_If that kid killed Silas, then maybe he wasn't as up to the task as you thought he was," Jacob hissed._

_Solomon's eyes narrowed in thought. "…Perhaps… perhaps." He turned to look at Dunk, Edwina throwing herself between the two, with only her taped wrists serving as any kind of deterrent. _

"_So, boy. You mind explaining to me why my second in command had his skull perforated?" Solomon asked as he fished the bullet from his skull._

_Dunk glared at the wraith. "Maybe I do?"_

_Solomon smiled his broken grin. "I do apologize to my old friend for violating his hospitality. But you must understand MY rules, boy. You kill a name on my list, you take their place on the list."_

_The color drained from Dunk's face. It was universal knowledge that this creature, the Rev, regularly hunted down individuals for reasons most could not understand. If Silas Absalom, his right-hand gun, wasn't safe from it, then this young outlaw that just barely started out on his own now found himself at the "mercy" of the galaxy's apex predator. It was almost enough to make him regret things._

"_But, seeing as you aren't quite as… ripe as I'd hope, let me propose an arrangement. How about… in six years, we meet again. Who knows, maybe you'll finally be the one when that time comes," Solomon laughed as he picked his hat off the ground. He paused for a moment. Slowly, he began to approach the two huddled figures._

"_Like hell you will," Edwina snarled as she charged Solomon. "Eddie, no!" Dunk called out as shadowy tendrils erupted out and pummeled her body. One was about to wrap around her neck when suddenly two strong pairs of arms grabbed her and snapped her away from Solomon. Jacob stood guard as Hilda tended to the wounded girl spitting up blood. Solomon, on his end, merely diverted his attention back to Dunk. Extending his hand out, he placed his hat on Dunk's head. "Kid, if you want to survive, my advice to you is to become the most ruthless son of a bitch this galaxy has ever seen. Then, maybe you just might be the one."_

Jim didn't even look up as the doorway opened. The footsteps approached him, and the tray was gently set before him. He looked at the meal. Pork, potato, vegetables, and a can of cola. His hands were positioned in front of him, but for the oddest reason, he didn't feel hungry.

"You can leave, Leilong," Jim said, flatly.

"I wish he did," Eddie sniffed. "Tool that he is has been cozying up to Mara way to easily."

Jim shot up a glance, not even hiding his disgust. "And I'm supposed to think you're better company, now?"

Eddie shrugged. "You are free to think what you will as you will. But I will say this," she grinned as she leaned forward. "First time a guy with his hands tied ever tried to take a swing at me. I'm impressed."

Jim did not return the grin. "I really don't give a damn. We are not friends. Especially not after all that crap you said about mine."

"I…" Eddie started. "…I admit my… sense of humor isn't for everyone."

"Don't even bother playing that," Jim snorted in disgust. "Doesn't matter what she is, it's not like it matters to you, anyway."

"Oh, that isn't fair," Eddie pouted. "I was just hired to kick ass and repo property. The boss doesn't want the whole ship, just pieces in it, and that goes ditto for the se-" she paused at the glare Jim fixed her. "…the girl."

"So you're just going to carve her up like some middle school science lab? That doesn't make it better," Jim growled.

"Mara said it isn't a super complicated surgery. Says that it isn't fatal, and that your friend will barely get a scar when all is said and done."

"That sounds nice. I don't believe her," Jim said, flatly.

Eddie paused, and an evil smile crept on her face. "…So then how about we ask her personally?"

* * *

Mara had changed into her sleepwear. As far as the ship was concerned, it was effectively mid-day, but she had nothing better to do and no desire to talk to anyone. She glanced at herself one last time in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were still red and sore. She thought that by this point she'd be used to crying herself to sleep.

She thought about Mikhail. Thought about her colleagues back at the university. About the girls back on Nereda. She couldn't show her face to any of them, possibly ever again. He opened her case, undid some locks inside, and pulled a bottle of cognac out from her medical case. This bottle was the one vice she didn't quite feel guilty about, she thought as she felt the stinging burn enter her throat. Just a little nightcap to soothe her nerves and dull her emotions. She left the bathroom, dragging her case behind her. Reaching her room, she opened the doorway to find a familiar figure waiting for her. Eddie grabbed her and pulled her in wordlessly, shutting the door behind them.

Expertly, Eddie used a series of restraints to hog-tie Mara onto the ground. Forcing her to her knees, Eddie made sure her captive was brought to eye-level to the other, this one unbound and wielding a loaned stun rod.

"…You can't be serious right now," Mara hissed in disbelief.

She felt an iron bar wrap tightly around her neck, stopping some airflow as Eddie planted two fingers against her jugular.

"What's his name?" Eddie asked.

"What?!" Mara gritted as Eddie tightened her grip.

"Name?" Eddie growled.

"Jim Hawking, what does that have to-" Mara felt more pressure around her neck.

"Where are you from?" Eddie continued to ask.

"You already know this, you bitch, Nereda!" Mara hissed.

"Have you ever thought about fooling around with Leilong?" Eddie asked.

"Wha- God, you are sick, Eddie!" Mara groused.

"Answer the question."

"…No," Mara answered, unable to see Eddie's grin as she sensed the slightest shift in her pulse.

"Well, kid, I think I got a baseline. Ask away," Eddie said in a chipper tone.

Jim got in Mara's face. "…Eddie says you aren't going to kill Melfina. You are going to tell me, in detail, what you are going to do," he growled as he brought up his stun rod.

Mara stared down the boy. "…I am something of a specialist when it comes to biomechanical lifeforms. Got my doctorate on the removal of cybernetic augments, nonlethal," she emphasized.

"What are you planning on doing?" Jim asked.

"…According to the schematics Mr. Howard provided me with, the component he is looking for is located somewhere at the base of the neck. A navigation chip, a little piece of some kind of "black box" its creator planted within the body," Mara answered.

"She's not a cyborg," Jim shook his head. "For all you know, ripping out a piece of her soul."

Despite the situation, Mara almost laughed. So, the kid was one of "those types." Someone who conflated a cheap knockoff with authentic humanity. He was worried she was going to break his toy.

"...The only side-effects following the procedure would be a form of "vertigo-equivalent" symptoms, and even then it should only last a few hours."

"And how do I know you just aren't going to keep carving her up afterward?" Jim asked as he held the baton to her gut.

"I'm a professional!" Mara exclaimed, offended. "If just anyone could do an extrication, Mr. Howard may as well have hired this idiot to do it," motioning her head behind her.

"Yeah, I'm so delighted to know that the guys who brutalized my friends and kidnapped me were able to hire some cheap burnout from a forth rate diploma mill to keep the upcoming mutilation "professional," Jim mocked. "The only reason someone as "professional" and "qualified" as you would be working a job like this is because, as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't hack it legitimately," Jim said as Eddie broke out laughing.

"…How dare you," Mara replied. "…How dare you pretend you know anything about me?"

"I thought doctors were about helping people. I guess it's just their luck that the best they could do is some back alley organ farmer," Jim scowled.

"Shut up," Mara said on the verge of tears. Eddie started to breath heavier.

"Maybe you just weren't cut out for honest work, like hosting a radio show or selling your body," Jim continued to taunt.

"SHUT UP, KID! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" Mara screamed as tears streaked down her face. "She was scared! I had to do something!"

Jim and Eddie looked on as Mara continued. "She knew about Ashur's reputation, and Mindi and Vica both got hurt the last time he came! Kida was scared, I had to do something! So, yeah, I took her place! Worst mistake of my life, and I've been paying for it ever since!"

"…What the hell are you talking about?" Jim asked as Eddie relaxed her grip.

"I never wanted any of this to happen," Mara sobbed. "I never should have gone back home. I hate this so god damn much."

Jim didn't feel any pity. This woman kidnapped him and was going to hurt someone he had promised he'd protect. Whatever her reasons, she was at the root of all of Jim's problems. He was going to teach her a lesson. He activated the stun baton, reeling back to strike her across the face… only for something strong to grab him by the wrist. Looking up, he saw Eddie, of all people, made the intercept.

"We're done here," Eddie said as she dragged Jim out of the room. Jim looked back at the sobbing woman on the ground, rambling about "that prev Ashur" and "that asshole Cade" and "horrible excuse for a mother" and, unsurprisingly, "stupid bitch Eddie."

"What was that about?!" Jim exclaimed as Eddie shut the door behind her. Looking up, he saw Eddie's face had lost any previous sense of humor it did. "…Why didn't he tell me?" Eddie muttered to herself.

"That meant something to you?" Jim asked, incredulously.

"…I knew she left because she messed around with someone big, but I didn't know it was Ashur," Eddie gulped. "This… she… I had no idea,"

"…So, who the hell is this Ashur?!" Jim spoke aloud.

"Strum Korps number one attack dog," Leilong spoke up. The two jumped as the assassin made his presence suddenly known. "Ace pilot, bounty hunter, former pirate-turned-mercenary, and oh yes, the founder of the STAMP brigade," he said as he looked over Eddie. "I take it he wasn't an idyllic CO?"

"Trained good," Eddie admitted as she averted her gaze. "Trained hard. Too hard," she shuddered. "I almost didn't make it, he came so close to killing me. Most of my class wasn't so lucky."

"Can take the psycho out of the pirates, but you can't take the pirate out of the psycho," Leilong nodded.

"They used to call him "Sigfried the Lady Killer" back at the New Rhine Academy," Eddie continued to admit.

"Oh, so he's some kind of womanizer," Jim said, unimpressed.

"…No," Eddie shook her head. "Oh Mara, I had no idea."

"Eddie, this…" Leilong indicated Jim. "Is going to get the kid killed if Cade finds out. I get you don't like Mara, but this is no way to get one over on her."

"…I have to talk to Cade," Eddie breathed. "…Take Jim back to holding, I'll… I'll deal with Cade," Eddie breathed, taking a gulp as she went to his quarters.

"…Well, talk about a change in demeanor," Leilong shook his head. "Can't make heads or tails of that woman, she sure doesn't make it easy."

"Yeah, you know things are bad when the only person you can trust smells like weed and daddy issues," Jim sniffed.

"…You know, kid, since we're alone right now, I'm going to fill you in on something," Leilong began.

"I know. "Nothing personal, kid. I just really need the money," right?" Jim mocked.

"…Close," Leilong admitted. "Those two were hired to get the ship. Mara was hired to get that thing out of the android. I was not hired directly by the boss," Leilong explained. "I'm really risking my neck by telling you this. I was hired to make sure they _don't_ kill Starwind."

Jim looked at him. "…And why are you telling me this?"

"Because I think I want you to know that you have at least one friend."

* * *

Ashur stood on the bridge, sword planted before him as his officers and staff busied themselves with navigating the Praetorian and controlling the escort drones that surrounded them. The SKS Praetorian was one of only three ships of its kind in the whole galaxy. A designation of Heavy Assault Cruiser at the cutting edge of military technology, some of the finest craft ever to come out of Einhorn, and one of the main reasons he turned his back on the Krauss Guild with nary an ounce of reluctance.

"Sir, we have an incoming transmission," a bridge lieutenant announced.

"Source?" Sigfried asked.

"SKS Varangian," she replied.

"On screen," Sigfried replied, his mood darkening.

The screen before showed the image of a stern-looking young woman, blonde hair tied in a bun as she directed her gaze over her fellow commander.

"Report, Commander Ashur," she said, flatly.

"We have collected a few leads regarding the location of Count Welles little adversary," Sigfried tried to grin.

"And what of your findings?"

"I believe we have tracked down some of his current associates. I grab them, I'll make them talk," Sigfried smiled.

"Perhaps it would be prudent for you to merely incarcerate them, wait for Commander Ruebryn to oversee the interrogation?" Tasha proposed.

"We don't need that empty uniform overseeing my business," Sigfried sniffed.

"We don't need you playing with your food," Tasha shot back. "Mr. Howard is the highest priority for Count Welles. We cannot afford any more mistakes."

"Oh, a billionaire whose assets we've already seized? The most dangerous thing about that guy was his money, and it already belongs to us, now! Why does the old man have such a hard-on for some pampered rich boy?"

"The Count has his reasons," Tasha stated. "If I was in your position, I would respect his judgments. Without it, you would have been executed the moment I captured you."

Sigfried slammed the point of his sword into the hull of the floor, embedding it next to the other notches, evidence of prior such meetings. He glared down the bane of his existence as she stared back, dispassionately. He hated this woman. It wasn't through her own martial abilities that he found himself defeated and indentured to Strum Korps. She used trickery and deception, isolating him from his allies and luring him into a trap where he could be collared. Had the situation been reversed, that self-righteous, arrogant bitch would know true humility, he thought as hate bubbled inside him.

"…We are following some promising bait," Sigfried answered, keeping his voice level. "Whatever Howard is after, they have it. When they make their move, so do we."

"I will hold you to that, Commander," Tasha narrowed her eyes. "I expect you to be on your best behavior, Ashur. Let me know when you've made contact with the targets, you work best under supervision, after all."

As the line went dead, Sigfried let out a howl of anger as he beat his sword into the railing. The crew, used to these outbursts by now, did their best to mitigate any way to gain his attention. After finishing, he scanned over the crew of the bridge. Everyone avoided his gaze, wisely.

"Keep me posted the moment you locate anything, lieutenant. I'll be in my quarters," he spat.

Ashur was a man who wanted many things. He wanted power, money, and influence, which is why he eagerly took Count Welles proposal to stay off the proverbial gallows (although with Tasha, who could say it wasn't literal?) and become a part of a rising enterprise. That was his long-term desires. Right now, though, he wanted to either spar or take one of the bridge bunnies to his bed-chamber. Unfortunately, he was already on thin enough ice with the old man, and the last thing he needed to deal with was another scandal before finishing his job. So, he decided that perhaps it was in his best interest to watch a movie.

Kicking his boots off and pouring himself a brandy, Sigfried grabbed his remote to his overhanging screen from his bed. Normally, it processed tactical information and the status of the Praetorian's condition, but there were some other uses he had in mind.

"…Play Lylis's Pleasure Palace Recording #17" he commanded as he took a sip.

The recording was something of a complimentary package courtesy of Vice-Lord Lylis Silva, a perk of being a VIP. Upon one of his more recent visits, he had ordered a girl named Kida, an exotic looking delicacy whose measurements and reputation proved promising. Behold his surprise when a different girl entered his room.

"Let's get something straight," the woman said as she entered his room. "Kida isn't feeling well today, so as a consolation I have taken her place."

The woman wasn't dressed like the other girls. She looked like a young professional, someone with an education and better options. Come to think of it, Sigfried had thought at the time, she looked an awful lot like the owner.

"…And might I ask your name, beautiful?" Sigfried had asked.

"…Morgan…" the woman had said.

As Sigfried watched and reminisced over the passionate night they had spent together, he couldn't help but be drawn to "Morgan's" face during her… ordeal, he thought with a grin. Contrary to what his reputation may have suggested, he never treated a woman like an object. Each and every one who held his attention and interest had that little something that made the experience for him matter so much more. Sometimes, it was fear, sometimes resentment, sometimes it was just a matter of shame, or pain, even hate. "Morgan" went through the entire gambit of emotions.

After they had finished, "Morgan" slowly began to gather her clothing. "Where do you think you're going?" Ashur had asked.

"…I hope you have been satisfied," "Morgan" said. "I really must be… getting back to my duties."

"Oh, no, you misunderstand," Ashur said as he rose from his bed and grabbed her arm. "…I paid for the whole night."

"Let me go," "Morgan" struggled as Ashur twisted her arm behind her.

"Why would I do that? I'm not bored yet," he said as he forced her back on the bed.

"Stop it now!" "Morgan" screamed. "…I swear, if you hurt me, you will lose all your privileges and never be allowed to return. I know the Vice-Lord, personally."

"Yeah, I know. You're her daughter," Ashur said.

Amaralys had a look between humiliation and terror as Ashur pinned her to the bed. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to know her daughter entered the family business after all."

"So, why don't we make a deal? Either you continue to be the best lay I've ever had, or you walk out those doors, and I find some other girls to entertain me. The only reason I've been such a gentleman is out of respect for your mother, but if those other girls don't measure up…" his grip tightened around her wrists. "…I might just get really upset with them."

Sigfried observed Amaralys's submission with contented eagerness. It wound up being a long night for both of them. The following morning, Sigfried even offered to purchase Lylis's daughter. Not as a slave, he wasn't some barbarian, but in a manner reminiscent of an official contract. Not quite as a marriage, but hardly as property. _Concubine_, Sigfried thought as he snapped his fingers during his viewing, _that was the word._ Of course, such a dream would never come to be, seeing as that massacre complicated everything, with lovely Amaralys disappearing in the chaos.

Amaralys wasn't just on the run, she was running from _him._ No doubt she had surrounded herself with people she figured would deter him. Apparently they consisted of THE Kei's greatest assassin, an anarchist hitman, and a traitor from his own brigade, according to Ruebryn's reports. He would mount every one of their heads over his mantle, give Amaralys something to dwell over upon her return to him. Then, eventually, he would honor her mother's contract and return her back to Nereda, unharmed… after he grew bored of her.

Still, everything depended on a little red grappler ship. A little red grappler ship that just so happened to have received a transmission from a friendly hauler regarding the last known location of their golden prey. In a few hours, the red ship would reach the Black Ether Sea. The rumored stomping grounds of the Rev. Though Sigfried did not know it, he was about to take part in the greatest battle of his life.


	14. Guest of Honor

_The Black Ether Sea. This anomalous patch of territory is both a scientific marvel and a spacer's nightmare. A nebula the size of a moderate solar system, it has gained an infamous reputation for being so hazardous, none can navigate through the area intact. Of all the probes sent inside, roughly twenty percent return, and all data gathered within are corrupted. Legends say that within the unassailable sea lay a treasure ripe for the taking. All they have to do is survive an area so inhospitable that no power in space can claim it._

Chapter 14: Guest of Honor

The Outlaw Star exited ether space. Melfina insisted on continuing to travel through FTL means, but Harry aborted the run the moment they entered the sector. On the starboard side of the ship, a frothing mass of dark ether lapsed and pulsed.

"Sorry, Mel, but I've been through here before," Harry explained as he manually navigated around the sea. "A lot of pilots get interdicted, y'know, pulled out of FTL travel just by flying too close to that."

"What is that?" Mel asked from her chamber.

"Black Ether Sea. It's basically impassible and if you fall in, that's it for you. My brother and I lost some bounty hunters this way, tricked them into thinking we flew into it. They dove in after us and that was the last we ever saw of them," Harry said as he turned to look Mel in the eyes.

Seeing her suspended like that, so vulnerable, still sent a chill up his spine. Most of those idiots near Earth might be disturbed by the sight, maybe even disgusted. Harry saw beauty, perfection incarnate. Humanity not as the opposite of the machine, but as its union. Only Melfina could understand what he saw, appreciate it as he did, even though she wanted little to do with him.

"Harry, you said your brother knew one of them," Melfina said.

Harry groaned. "He said they had to have worked together raiding the Jademarsh. It was this big haul that had a ton of security within it and without. Ron fought off the ships guarding it while the guy in charge led a team inside. Apparently they killed everyone in that ship, scalped them too."

"Scalped?" Melfina asked.

"It's…" Harry hesitated. "…Have you ever had a really bad haircut?"

Melfina shook her head.

"It's like that, just… deeper," Harry explained. "Really sick to look at, and it hurts like a bitch if they don't kill you first."

"…And Jim is with that guy?" Melfina exclaimed, panic evident in her voice.

"I, eh," Harry tried to answer. "…The guy says he killed Silas, so maybe he didn't like getting involved with him," he placated. "I mean, I don't exactly blame him, what with the rumors that Silas was working under the Rev."

"What's the Rev?" Melfina asked.

Gene entered the cockpit from the lift, looking better rested. The first thing he saw was Harry looking at Melfina's naked body, and he felt the urge to throttle the bastard and put one in his head. He controlled himself, and instead inserted himself in the conversation.

"He's only the scariest thing in the universe, Mel," Gene stated, sarcastically. "I hear he makes ships disappear and only appears during eclipses, that is when he doesn't find enough babies to eat, OOOoooo."

"Very funny," Harry scoffed.

"I didn't think you of all people would buy into that urban legends crap," Gene sneered. "What next? The Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus sell timeshares?"

"You're from Earth, aren't you?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gene replied.

"If you weren't, then you would know better than to antagonize something that dangerous!" Harry snarled. "Hey Mel, just so you know, your boyfriend is going to get himself killed if he doesn't take the hint."

"Is that a threat?!" Gene growled.

"A warning. The Rev isn't something to take lightly. Even Ron took him seriously," Harry pressed.

"Maybe he should take real threats into account. Then maybe he wouldn't be nursing a round in his back," Gene taunted.

Harry lunged out of the chair, grabbing Gene by the collar. Gene pushed back, but Harry's body shoved him against the window. Gene tried to fumble for his gun while Harry's arm split open to reveal a thin blade.

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" Melfina shrieked.

Both men reluctantly came back to their senses, still not taking their eyes off the other. As Melfina prepared to further castigate both of them for acting like this, Gilliam was the first to interrupt. "Excuse me, gentlemen. If you can cease your belligerence, for the time being, I've received word of a distress call."

"Patch it through to a local security force, Gilliam. We don't have the time for this," Gene said offhandedly, Harry still his primary focus.

"They said they've been attacked by a gold-plated grappler ship," Gilliam stated. Both men immediately put the previous thought behind him, both rushing for the captain's chair. After Gene beat Harry to the seat, he activated the communicator. "Patch him through, Gilliam. I want to know everything he can tell us."

In a huff, Harry took his place in the front of the craft, shooting one last look at Melfina before he did. His heart ached at the look she gave him. Once again, all he did was hurt his angel. Starwind didn't even seem to care, he noted. He just had to be patient, he told himself. He couldn't force her to see things his way, he realized that now, he just had to trust her to realize she could do better.

* * *

As the Outlaw Star approached the damaged courier ship, both Aisha and Suzuka joined them on the bridge. Aisha was nursing a bump on her head, even as she picked bits of fish out of her teeth with her nail. Suzuka seemed slightly more agitated than usual, muttering that she needed a new hiding place for the future.

"So, what has happened?" Suzuka asked as the girls took their positions.

"Gilliam says this guy got jumped by our friends."

"Looks like that Syd guy was telling the truth," Harry said. "Not every day you run into an honest smuggler."

"Courier ship, can you announce your designation?" Gene ordered.

"…Life sup-… amag… fuel… n't rea-…"

"We're pulling closer," Gene said. As the Outlaw Star approached, he noticed a number of wreckages surrounding the damaged craft. If Harry had to guess, they were remnants of ships chewed up by the Black Ether Sea. The courier craft in question was a rounded, stunted-looking ship, the kind that usually concerned itself with petty freight. _Just like Dad's, _Gene briefly thought to himself. "Can you hear me now?"

"…Oh, thank goodness, I thought you wouldn't get here," the pilot sighed in relief.

"Sir, we will do everything in our power to help you. Tell me, where can we dock with you to rescue you and your crew?" Gene asked.

"Please approach from the starboard side. Oh, I've been waiting for this," the pilot said. Suzuka felt the hair stand on the back of her head. Why did this voice sound so familiar?

"Sir, we're readying a dock now, shut off your engines and prepare to evacuate," Gene said as he pulled alongside the ship.

"Ok, here it goes." A series of cables shot out and grappled the Outlaw Star. "Warning! Virus detected! Shutting down all primary systems!" Gilliam announced before going dark.

"What the hell?!" Gene shouted as Mel was ejected from her chamber. Aisha let out a low growl while Suzuka finally recognized the voice. "You…"

The view screen on the ship's aft activated, and a cartoon mouse wearing prisoner's garb emerged from a broken prison. "Yeah, bet you didn't expect to see me again, huh?"

"CRACKERJACK!" Gene, Melfina, and Suzuka all exclaimed, simultaneously.

"You know what they say about falling into the same trap twice, right?" the cartoon began wagging its finger. "Guess your luck is gonna run out sooner than mine, tugboat."

"WHERE IS JIM?!" Gene snarled. "YOU'RE WORKING WITH THOSE BASTARDS, AREN'T YOU?! SPILL IT!"

"Well, tugboat, you aren't really in a position to make demands now, are you? But to save you the trouble, I have no idea what you're talking about," the mouse said as it scratched its head, ponderingly.

"If you aren't with the Pact, then who do you work for?" Harry asked.

Three ominous-looking grappler-ships exited sub-ether space on the aft side of the Outlaw Star. "These are some of my associates; Leif, Beaux, and Randy. They'll be taking you to the reason I'm out of jail. With any luck, I'll have a front-row seat to the show," the cartoon continued as its head was placed in a guillotine. The cartoon ended with a tombstone, the words "Rest in Piss" written across it while the mouse did his business on the grave.

* * *

Rukko finished his last rep of the evening. A series of twenty vertical pushups was usually just what he needed before bed. This day had been eventful enough. Another fight had broken out on the lower decks, over cards again. Whoever started it hadn't been important, what was would be the fact that Rukko made sure all involved were losers in the end. Next, he did a favor for Solomon and sat through a meeting with the local cult. Cassandra had some spiel about the silent cat needing healing waters to allow love to blossom in the loins or something. Rukko didn't feel like betting on Tex or Dex in tonight's fight, even though Dex was on a winning streak this week, so he finished his day with some brewed moonshine, and instigated a fight that drew in over fifty participants. In the end, Rukko won the rumble and made off with the purse being whatever he wanted from the crew's pockets. So he had earned this powernap, as far as he was concerned. He was an Ursan-Ursan living his best life. All he was lacking was an easy-on-the-eyes mate and he would be all set.

A knock on the side of his quarters roused him before he even hit his bed. "Sir, we have an incoming ship."

"One of ours?" Rukko asked.

"It's Leif's group. Says one of the new guys caught something interesting in his trap."

"Interesting how?" Rukko asked.

* * *

Harry was rapidly trying every solution he could think of, inputting codes in the console to no avail. Aisha was pacing up and down the side of the bridge, breathlessly trying to grumble. Suzuka sat in her seat, not having moved an inch since the other ships began pulling the Outlaw Star. Gene sat in his seat and fumed, all while Melfina gently rubbed his shoulders and whispered in his ear, trying not to break down herself.

The three grappler ships stopped, the Outlaw Star hanging under two of their arms like a drunk being escorted outside a bar by bouncers. Gene looked up to see what was quite possibly the largest single ship he had ever seen in his life pull into view. He knew some of the inner-world tankers could give even some naval vessels runs for their money, but this was another beast in its entirety. This thing had been modified to a ridiculous degree. The platform that had once carried mineral ore and supplies by millions of tons was now refurbished into a mess of weapons emplacements. This thing looked like it was running on its last legs judging by the condition of the hull, which was essentially a patchwork of quick fixes and questionable maintenance. And yet it looked like it could treat even the Geomancer like a speed bump.

A voice over the communicator made its way through. "Greetings, crew of the Outlaw Star. Welcome to the Dredholk. I apologize for the suddenness of our introduction, but my boss has been very keen to make your acquaintances."

"PISS OFF!" Gene shrieked into the intercom.

Undeterred, the voice continued. "Of course, before you arrive, I'd like to go over the expected etiquette. Don't try to leave without permission, or we'll blow up your ship. We have accommodations available, and you have our humble word you shall not be harmed during your stay provided you cooperate. And finally, bring as many weapons as you can carry."

"AND YOU CAN TAKE THIS DEAL AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR- wait, what?" Gene asked, shocked.

"Don't get me wrong, Starwind. If you try and start something, we are going to finish it, believe you me. But for now, I'll be seeing you in the docking area. Kill the feed!" the voice shouted off-speaker.

Gene looked to his crew. "…All the weapons, huh?" he said.

"Gene, what if it's a trap?" Mel asked.

"They are putting forward a lot of energy to not kill us," Harry mused, and Gene reluctantly had to agree with him.

"Well, I guess we're going to see what they want," Gene said as the other grappler ships pulled under the Dredholk to the waiting docking bridge. "You guys got everything you need?" he asked.

"I only need this," Suzuka motioned to her bokken. Aisha flexed her muscles and cracked her shoulders. Harry had a few secrets he was eager to show. Melfina looked away.

"Mel?" Gene said.

"I… I trust you all," she tried to put on a brave face.

"…And I'd feel a hell of a lot better if you had something, too," he said as he pulled out his revolver. "Keep that on you when we go in."

Melfina took it with trepidation. She knew Gene was aware of her distaste for firearms, seeing the damage Gene had suffered from them was something she didn't take lightly. But she had taken her shooting lessons seriously, and she understood the implication Gene's action meant. _If something happens to me, save yourself._

* * *

Rukko stood in the center of the disembarking area, where once hundreds of crewmembers entered the ship to begin their months-long trade voyage. Now it was willed with a bunch of disreputable Terran thugs, some discarded Saurian vat-warriors, a collection of desperate Lorgan nomads, a loony cult, and one Ursan warrior who still held his pride. He planted his maul-staff into the floor before him. Around him, the rag-tag crew carried battered assault rifles, handguns, machetes, and in the form of Tex and Dex, two pairs of hardened, reptilian fists.

The breach-gate opened, and Rukko found himself staring down the barrel of a caster gun. He grinned as the rest of the militia hastily moved to respond, raising their weapons in such volume that the notion of them missing their target would be little more than a sick joke. Rukko himself didn't move, and neither did the red-haired man.

Slowly, the man entered the hall, followed by a pale looking Terran on his right flank and…

Rukko's heart skipped a beat. He'd been amongst these apes for so long that he'd almost forgotten what true feline beauty looked like. The Ctarl glanced around her with a languid disdain that Rukko felt was typically reserved for high-ranking officers and aristocrats. Truth be told, if he still lived within the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire, Rukko wouldn't have given her a second thought, seeing as she seemed a little too small and relatively pampered for his preferences. But, absence made the heart grow fonder.

Bringing up the rear were two more women, one with blue hair and the other with black. Rukko squinted a bit and realized that the chassis of the blue-haired one was actually artificial, the thin seams indicating this body was cybernetic. He grinned. The Terrans had yet to create a machine he couldn't break. Of all the humans he enjoyed hunting, dismantling a cyborg held a special place in his heart. There was just something so…Terran about trying to hide weakness behind a cold machine imitation frame in an effort to reach true strength. Rukko knew about true strength, and if blue-hair tried anything, he would gladly teach her.

Picking up his maul-staff, holding it over his shoulder, he approached the crew. Gene watched as a large Ctarl-Ctarl with a slight hunchback and an underbite closed the distance between them. Suzuka estimated that the maul-staff weighed a lot more than it appeared to. Aisha wondered what a proud Ursan-Ursan warrior was doing on a Terran outlaw ship, a question she had been asking herself for months. Melfina pulled herself closer to Gene, her hand nervously hovering over the revolver in her jacket pocket. Harry was wondering why that strange glint in the Ctarl guy's eye made him so nervous.

"Captain Starwind," Rukko grinned, bowing his head slightly. "It's an honor to finally meet face to face."

"It isn't mutual. What do you want?" Gene growled. "We barely have anything to rob and it's Crackerjack's own fault he wound up in jail."

"Oh, my boss isn't interested in anything you have," Rukko shook his head. "He's interested in meeting you, Gene Starwind."

"Well then if that's all it is, he can take a card and call during business hours," Gene growled. "Your boss has made a terrible first impression."

Rukko barked out a laugh. "If he wanted to make a bad first impression, Captain Starwind, you would realize what a tremendous courtesy he is extending by going through all this trouble to see you unharmed."

"Great. Now answer my damn question," Gene snarled. "What does he want?"

"I want you, Gene Starwind."

As the air grew chillier, the renegade militia surrounding them slowly put away their weapons. Rukko stood aside and took a knee as the newcomer turned the corner. He was tall and ominous, a dark-clad cowboy who looked like Death itself. The being's very presence exuded menace.

"…Nice Halloween costume," Gene sniffed as Suzuka stepped in closer to Gene while Aisha bristled.

The creature peered up, his green eyes expressing delight at seeing his guest. "So, I hear you killed Hazanko?"

"And what if I did?" Gene asked.

The creature grinned wider, showing far more teeth than he should have been able to. "Then you just might be the one."

"For the last time, TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YOU WANT?!" Gene finally snapped.

"…I want you to kill me."

Gene immediately leveled his caster, charged the weapon, and blasted a bolt of energy that shredded his upper body apart. When the smoke cleared, the creature's head and most of its torso on the right side was missing.

"DONE!" Gene announced as he put his caster away. "C'mon guys, we're leaving," he said as he parted through his group, smacking right into the broad, rotting chest of the man he just blew away. "You got moxie, kid, I'll give you that with this," the creature said as he belted Gene in the gut. As Gene fell to his knees, gasping, he looked at the rest of the companions. "Of course, that isn't to say that the rest of you aren't welcome to try," he grinned.

Suzuka put herself on guard while Aisha bristled and entered a combat stance. Harry immediately went to cover Mel, although she in turn just stared at the creature.

"C'mon, any of you want to have a go? There's a prize to the one who kills me," the creature goaded.

As Gene slowly picked himself off the ground, Mel broke from Harry to help him to his feet. "Damn," Gene grunted. "A little more pressure and I'd have busted a rib."

"I want to fight you at your best, kid. No cheap shots, no cheating, just one fair fight," the creature grinned.

"Well, I guess it's a bad time to tell you I don't really do fair," Gene smirked, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What are you?" Melfina asked.

"My name is Solomon Huckebein," the creature grinned. "But you can call me the Rev."

"And what is that thing on your back?" Melfina asked.

"Mel?" Gene asked. "What thing?"

Suzuka, Aisha, and Harry all looked at her like she had gone crazy. As did the rest of the surrounding militia, Rukko himself tilting his head to the side. The Rev also stared at her, but his smile slowly began to fade. "…What do you see?" he asked.

"I don't know, but it's looking at me," Melfina said.

The Rev immediately closed in on the girl. Gene and Harry tried to stop him, but two shadowy tendrils shot out from the Rev's coat and knocked them both into Suzuka and Aisha respectively. The Rev began to sniff Melfina, who stood completely still as her personal space was violated and fought back the temptation to grab her revolver. The creature pulled away and looked her over. "…You reek of the Leyline," the creature growled.

He reached out and grabbed her by the throat. "You and I are going to have a talk," he growled.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Gene screamed as a tanned Saurian picked him off the floor.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" Harry snarled as a grey Saurian pinned him against the wall.

"Rukko, escort them all to holding. Don't injure any, I'll deal with them later," the Rev ordered. He then felt a wooden sword rest against his neck. "If you don't let her go, this is going to get ugly, and if this gets ugly, then you will be back where you started before you brought us here," Suzuka coldly threatened.

"I am not going to hurt her," the Rev stated. "I just want to ask her something."

"Then ask her here," Suzuka stated as she tightened her grip.

"It's something personal for me. Fifteen minutes, tops, I promise."

Suzuka didn't let up her sword.

"…I swear this on the souls and spirits of all my friends who passed before me," the Rev replied.

"Not your own?" Suzuka asked.

"I'm working very hard to remedy that, warrior," the Rev answered.

Reluctantly, Suzuka drew back her sword. "Then be quick of it. Melfina, stay strong. We'll be waiting for you when you return."

The Rev released Melfina's throat, instead wrapping his cloak around her body while feathers emerged from his back, and his form shot forward down the corridor. Aisha immediately jumped up, intending to stop the abduction of her friend and try her luck with the monster herself.

"Oh no you don't!"

The grey-colored Ctarl beast immediately tackled Aisha to the floor, landing on top of her as he pinned both arms with his, staring her in the eyes.

The spectating militia began to snicker and hoot, making numerous lewd gestures and rooting for an escalation. "Grow up and escort them to holding!" Rukko ordered. Gene and Harry had to be dragged away, cursing out their captors every inch of the way. Suzuka left, as she usually did, with her own dignity intact, surrendering peacefully even under the leers of her wardens. As the last of the militia filed out, Rukko turned to look down at his own prisoner.

"Well, I guess I'll be looking after you personally. The name's Rukko Gresha-Gresha."

Aisha just glared at him.

"As you can tell, I'm of the Ursan-Ursan. You appear to be a pureblooded aristocrat in how you carry yourself. But I say we leave politics by the wayside, they will do us no good in this situation."

Aisha just glared at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. "How dare a proud Ctarl-Ctarl warrior, even one of the lowly Ursan-Ursan stock, debase themselves serving under a Terran warlord?" My friend, I tried to kill him. Nothing I did stuck. So I joined, and truth be told I haven't had this much fun since Eshvast IV."

Aisha still glared at him, but her ears noticeably perked.

"Oh, so you know your military history? I'd love to tell you more about it. Want to talk?"

Aisha just glared at him.

"What? Monkey got your tongue?" Rukko asked.

Aisha opened her mouth. Rukko immediately saw the damage to her throat, the inside of her mouth being littered with scars. Rukko winced. "…Shreddi-Gup," he stated, solemnly. "Some people just have no honor. Tell you what, how about I AAGH!" he cried out as Aisha slammed her head into his jaw. As he stumbled off, Aisha immediately bolted down the corridor, tracking Mel by scent. Rukko wasted little time recovering and immediately shot after her.

* * *

When Melfina came to, her eyes fluttered open inside a dark room. She immediately felt around her. The Rev had seemingly disappeared. Gingerly, she held out her hands. It didn't take long for her to touch what felt like an aluminum panel. "…Hello," she called out. "Gene? Suzuka? Aisha? …Harry?" As she felt her way around, she came across something soft. It felt like hair, more specifically it felt like Suzuka's hair. Soft to the touch, so much that she had spent a few evenings trying to get her own to emulate the sheen. Not that Gene ever minded, he'd even tried to help whenever they were in the shower together.

The light came on so suddenly that Melfina was temporarily blinded. As she slowly adjusted, she peeked her eyes open. She realized what she had been touching was human hair. She hadn't realized that it was hanging off a steel frame, and it was surrounded by dozens of others. Mel fell backward, landing on her rear as she backed herself into the other collection of grisly trophies on the other side of the container. That time she did let out a scream.

"Do you like my collection?" The Rev called out from the other side of the container. Melfina's eyes quickly darted around the room, looking for an exit. To her horror, it was right behind the Rev.

"This is where I put the remains of all those who fail to vanquish me, girl, he grinned. "And this is where your friends will wind up if they fail as well."

Melfina reached for the revolver. "Stay back!"

The creature let out a laugh. The thing on his back stared at her. Melfina felt her whole body tremble as the Rev called her bluff and approached her. "I've got a good feeling about Starwind. He's the redhead, I presume? Always liked them, real go-getters, and vicious fighters when they know what they're doing. As for the swordswoman, I dig her. No-nonsense, a good consolation prize if I go through Starwind. She doesn't have awful odds either. Same for that Ctarl woman, but…" he pointed to the ceiling, indicating the pelts he took from Rukko's old gang. "I've gotten really good at killing them, too. That's the tough thing about doing this for as long as I have, there's no challenge. And that is precisely the thing I'm trying to amend. Unless…" he closed the distance between the two of them.

"Stay away!" Melfina cried.

The Rev put his head directly in front of her barrel. "…Go ahead and pull that trigger. You don't strike me as much of a fighter, and this may very well be your only opportunity to stop me. Go on, girl, save your friends!" he taunted. The thing on his back stared at her intently, its eye unblinking as it sat there, judging her. Melfina lost her nerve. She dropped her gun, her fear overwhelming her.

"Well, isn't that too bad," the Rev laughed. "Wouldn't have done you any good. My "friend" here," he motioned to his shoulder. "Will keep me alive in the event I die in any context that isn't a one-on-one duel of my choosing. It's the wish I made when I found the Shard of the Maiden."

Mel stared at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I was hired a while back to run security for an excavation site that had been dubbed "The Grave of the Dragon." I may have stumbled across a fossilized remnant of a mysterious race, and witnessed a fragment of its power," he explained, theatrically. "It told me of the Galactic Leyline, and offered me anything I wanted if I found it."

He turned back to look at her. "From what I understand, the Galactic Leyline is something like a magic lamp, correct? Anything you desire, with no limits?"

Melfina couldn't move her tongue as the walking corpse closed in on her. "I can smell it on you. I know you've been there. I've seen it in my dreams whenever I try to sleep. The Leyline. The whole Leyline. The real one."

"Wouldn't you know it?" the Rev shrugged. "I was granted my desire in exchange for my support. All I asked for, the only thing I wanted was the right to choose the manner of my death. A one on one duel, fair and honorable. Of course, since it wasn't the REAL Leyline, I was stuck with a monkey's paw."

"…You mean like that old story?" Melfina finally spoke up.

"Finally, someone cultured," Solomon sniffed. "As it so happens. I've been jumped, ambushed, and outright overwhelmed multiple times since, dying horribly only to pop right back up thanks to my pet here," motioning to the thing perched on his shoulder.

"It won't let me pass on, even as I lose my feeling and my memories every time it drags me back. I used to feel sad when I killed people, now I'm just annoyed. But now, I think I have another way to break what's been keeping me going for the last twenty years."

He knelt beside Melfina, getting in her face. "Option one, business as usual, and I go through your friends in the Pit. A one-on-one fight after the other until one of them kills me or they all join my collection here. I think I have room for four more until I need another container. As for you, well, I wouldn't want to upset you with what my crew would be interested in doing with you," he chuckled as the fear crept across Melfina's face.

"But if that isn't your thing, then I would suggest option B, you take me to the Leyline. You have the scent of the Pre-Ethereals within you, you would know how to find it. And if the rumors are true, you have found it, haven't you?" the Rev grinned.

"…I can't." Melfina shook her head.

"Can't or won't? Think carefully, girl, because tomorrow I start going through your friends," he threatened.

"…I can't," Melfina sobbed. "I can't do it anymore."

"…What?" Solomon stated, flatly.

"The part of me that found the Leyline is gone," Melfina shook her head. "It vanished after we arrived, I'd never be able to find it."

"…You're lying," the Rev growled as he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off the ground. "Tell me where it is or I throw you to the crew now!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Melfina choked out. "If I could, I'd tell you! The Leyline is gone! I'm not the Maiden anymore! I don't know what to tell you!"

The thing wrapped a tendril around Solomon's neck. It let out a noise that sounded like an unfriendly chuckle as the Rev himself fumed with barely restrained rage. He pulled out his own gun and forced it against Melfina's head.

"Count of five, then I blow out your brains and show you to Starwind!" he hissed. "One! Two!"

Melfina closed her eyes and braced herself, praying a silent apology to Gene and the others for not being able to protect herself, and to Jim for letting him down. At least she lived a good life, with people she cared for and who cared for her in turn. She'd miss them all.

"Three! Four!"

Melfina waited for the sudden flash of noise and pain. In the final moments of her life, she remembered that lullaby she somehow knew. She remembered that it had been Harry's last request, a told to her by Gene. Considering how much he hated him, the fact that Gene had told her at all spoke volumes about how seriously he had taken the request. _I guess Harry is another person I let down,_ was the final thought that crossed Melfina's mind.

"FIVE!"

Melfina waited for it. There was no explosion, no sudden piercing of her skull, not even the sound of the trigger being pulled. It was just her sobbing breaths and the Rev trying to collect himself. She felt the gun leave her temple. She opened her eyes to see the Rev staring at her, a look of horror and disbelief.

"…PLEASE!" the Rev cried out desperately. Melfina had realized that the Rev hadn't been demanding to be taken to the Leyline, like anyone else who traveled against Gene and her. He was begging. Despite everything he had put her through, and despite the threat he represented to her friends, and despite the countless atrocities this container represented, Melfina felt sorry for the Rev.

The Rev fell to his knees, releasing her as he buried his face in her stomach, sobbing. "…I just want this to be over," he pleaded. "Please..."

The only thing Melfina could do, the only thing that made sense to her, was to hug him back and tell him it would be OK. As far as she was concerned, everyone deserved a little gentleness, no matter who or what they were. As Solomon continued to sob, Melfina wondered why that thing on his back gave her the most ominous sense of familiarity, like something she had forgotten for a reason. As the thing stared back at her, Melfina had a feeling that as bad as things were now, they were about to get worse.


	15. Backstabber

Silas "Heartless" Absalom. Considered by many to be one of the most ruthless, vicious and merciless gunslingers ever to grace the frontier. His origins were often shrouded in rumor and hearsay. What isn't debatable are the number of atrocities directed largely towards the Federal Space Forces. An anarchist by heart, Absalom was a noted critic of the Earth Federation, viewing them as "meddlers and enslavers, bureaucrats and weak men to the last." He earned a following among the dissolute of the galaxy, gathering a legion of criminals to rob and murder their way through all four empires. Rumors of his death are abound though unconfirmed, and the majority of his followers have been said to have fallen under the sway of the entity known as the Rev. What is known, however, is that ideas don't often die with the men who carry them…

Chapter 15: Backstabber

Cade rolled Wire Weasel back into his satchel. "Always a pleasure to talk to you," the machine purred as it entered sleep mode. Cade grinned as he went over the info he had transmitted and received. The Carnival knew he was coming and that a crew of notable bounty hunters was pursuing them. The defense grid would capture them, grounding the crew while his company would raid the ship. Once that was done, a hostage exchange would take place, the kid for the girl. Mara would finally make herself useful, they'd return the girl, and Cade would antagonize Captain Starwind to the point of conflict, killing him and any of his crew who objected. Starwind seemed the type to hold a grudge, and Cade couldn't afford to have too many capable enemies.

"Cade? Cade!" Eddie called from the hallway. "Where are you?"

Cade opened his doorway to peek out. Eddie caught him and rushed over. "Can we talk?" she asked, worried.

Cade stepped aside, ushering her in their quarters. Eddie looked nervous. That wasn't a good sign, he thought to himself, figuring he needed some extra medication to keep her stable.

"Cade, why the hell didn't you tell me?" Eddie said.

"Tell you about what?" Cade asked.

"You knew!" she pushed him in the chest. "Mara! Ashur! You knew from the beginning and you didn't tell me! Why?"

Cade stared at her, silently cursing that she finally found out about one of the secrets he didn't want her to realize. "…I figured it wouldn't have mattered," he said.

"Not matter?! Ashur is mine to kill, Cade! I need every edge I can get over him!"

"And what insights, pray tell, can Dr. Morgan give you about Commander Ashur?" Cade asked, mockingly. "His fetishes, maybe some anatomy? Eddie, the most Mara can tell you isn't information you can use to kill him unless you are planning to use her as bait?"

"Wha-NO!" Eddie shook her head. "This isn't about information, Cade! I just want to know why you didn't tell me that Mara… dealt with Ashur?" she said, averting her eyes.

"…What happened between those two falls under my personal purview of gossip, Eddie, and you know how I feel about that," Cade stated, flatly.

"I know," Eddie shook her head. "It isn't that. It's just… if I knew what she was running from…"

"…It's her own fault, Eddie," Cade explained. "You know how the extraction went down? Her call. All of it."

Eddie blinked. "…And all you did was fire one shot, right?"

"A powder keg only needs one match," Cade explained. "Silas always knew that. It's what he would have done."

"…So why did you do it?" Eddie asked. "Why kill him if you were just going to act like him?"

"I believe in Silas' cause, not his methods," Cade explained. "I believe the Earth Federation is too fragile, though it often acts like it is not. All it will take, Eddie, is the right shot at the right time, and I fully intend to pull that trigger when that time comes."

"So, the massacre was just some… trial run?" Eddie asked.

Cade smiled.

A chill crawled down Eddie's spine. She traveled with Cade going on three years, and she liked to think she knew him fairly well. Cade didn't believe he was some kind of great man. He just figured he was destined to do some great deed. Every job they took together, every mission and every target, was just another step for him to fulfill that dream. All Eddie wanted was to be with him when it happened, or barring that, to protect him long enough for him to realize it.

"…So, now that you know, what will you do, Eddie?" Cade asked.

"I…I guess I'll…," Eddie stammered. "I guess I'll leave Mara be."

"I'd be careful, though," Cade began. "Mara is a manipulator. Empathy is something to weaponize and pity is a mistake. I'd be careful dealing with her in the future."

"You'd never lie to me, would you, Cade?" Eddie asked.

"You are no good to me dead, Eddie," Cade replied.

The intercom above buzzed to life. "Guys, meet me on the bridge! We have a complication…"

* * *

As Tasha Osterman finalized her last report for the day, she stretched in her study as she prepared for her evening routine. For an officer who prided herself on her cold logic and strategic thinking, her methods before bed adopted an almost superstitious aura. Twenty minutes of stretches, crunches, aerobics, followed by a warm glass of gin placed atop her minifridge. She dulled the lights as she stripped off her officer blouse, placing it on its hanger in a reverent manner as she took her shower. Finishing, she checked her monitor one final time before shutting it off for the next five hours. Unlike every other night for the past month, there was a message waiting for her.

Throwing her officer's coat over her shoulders, she checked the attachment to the message. An encrypted transmission straight from the SKS Dog-Of-War. Count Welles flagship, itself. Tasha spent the next three minutes running over every security procedure she could think of. Satisfied that the rest of her ship was unable to peer into her private terminal, she opened the attachment to view a recording from her commanding officer.

Count Welles was a regal, aristocratic, and stern-looking individual. Usually, that was. For a man who prided himself on his appearance, and who held those who served directly under him to such high standards, his demeanor looked simply distraught and haggard. His well-trimmed mustache frayed over his lips, and his eyes looked like they had barely been keeping him awake during a planetary bombardment.

"Commander Osterman, I hope this message reaches you quickly," the Count began.

"There has been a recent development, and you are the only one I trust to oversee executing my orders precisely as I intend. I have just received a report from Commander Ruebryn that Phillip Howard's ship was spotted near the Black Ether Sea."

He leaned forward. "Commander Osterman, what I am about to tell you far exceeds your clearance. The true nature of Mr. Howard is something that only a handful of people are aware of and is amongst the closest and dearest secrets I hold. The only reason I tell you this is because I need you to understand the scope of what I am about to ask of you. Commander, Philip Howard has been dead for years. I was there when it happened."

Tasha could only stare at the screen as Count Welles continued on explaining the incident. He had been a member of a task force investigating an expedition with suspected ties to the Krauss Guild. The force had made it to a previously undiscovered monument located somewhere on the fringe of human space. Once they had arrived, the members of the expedition had lain in wait for the task force, detonating a series of traps and ambushes that caught even the battle-hardened troopers off-guard.

Reluctant to fire back, Welles was forced to take command and led a counterattack against the fanatical expedition, whom he would discover to his horror was not fighting alone. Unidentified monsters joined in, beasts that resembled a merging of crustacean, arachnid, and cephalopod designs, arrived and consumed the expedition, who to Welles's shock looked eager to be sacrificed. This left Welles and his troop to fight his way through the armored monsters. Welles and his immediate staff managed to secure an entryway into the monument as the survivors established a perimeter to hold off the creatures.

Inside, he saw Mr. Howard being accompanied by another. Welles ordered them to stand down and surrender. Mr. Howard had been caught by surprise. The creature was not. Frustrated, Welles brought out his ancestral weapon, a Caster gun modeled after a flintlock pistol, and fired at the two. The other creature simply ate the blast, as in it had literally devoured it. In turn, the creature fired an amplified version of the shot directly towards the task force. The troopers immediately went to cover their commander, and the foremost ended up incinerated, with Welles himself left alive and barely conscious.

From there on, his memory had been understandably a bit hazy. Groggily, he vaguely recollected a vision of the creature swallowing the eager young billionaire whole. Next thing he knew, the creature had assumed Phillip Howard's form. Taking a cane from the alter, the thing that was Howard leisurely strolled over the barely conscious remains of Welles. When he finally came to, Count Welles left the monument to find all of his defenders had been killed, with no sign of either Howard or the creatures.

Since then, Welles had taken a very keen interest in whatever studies Howard had been pursuing. In the back of Tasha's mind, this made his rather hands-off treatment of the Strum Korps more plausible, seeing as he often left his three commanders to their own devices. And it also began to shed light on Count Welles's personal aims to target a specific billionaire that, from Tasha's perspective, only had an incidental connection to the criminal element. As Count Welles brought her up to speed, he finally began his briefing.

"Commander Osterman, I believe I have discovered what Mr. Howard aims to do, how he intends to do it, and where he intends to begin. Commander Ashur is well on his way to the Black Ether Sea as we speak. I believe he will successfully intercept Mr. Howard. I do not believe, however, that he will resist the temptations that Mr. Howard represents. If a pirate, however much he claims to be a former one, gets ahold of the power Mr. Howard seeks, the Federation may very well be at risk. Nay, the galaxy itself! Therefore, what I am about to ask of you, I do not ask lightly.

When Ashur arrives at the Black Ether Sea, you and Ruebryn are to join in, regardless of his objections. Once he has located and secured Mr. Howard, you have my orders to terminate Mr. Howard and any who have had personal contact with him. This includes the SKS Praetorian and the entirety of its crew. I don't care if they are pirates, military, civilians, alien emissaries, whatever else may be involved. We CANNOT risk that creature surviving!"

* * *

Saiyo rubbed his eyes as he concluded the debrief with the crew. Leilong was pinching the bridge of his nose. Mara was sitting on her medical case, face in her hands. Eddie was on her knees, beating the floor as she swore up a storm. Cade was staring right at him, hardly blinking.

"So, as it stands to reason, the Outlaw Star has fallen into the hands of the Dredholk. We cannot verify as to whether or not the crew is alive, but…"

"They're alive," Cade said.

"How very optimistic of you," Mara muttered.

"Ain't optimism. The Rev isn't some spree-killer. Anyone who can challenge him his fair game."

"And anyone who can't?" Leilong asked.

"Not worth bothering with. The Rev is only concerned with finding someone who can kill him. Normally, that means raiding fortresses or stringing along bounty hunters. But since he's holding all the cards with Starwind and his crew, he's going to make sure things are done on his own time and fairly," Cade explained.

"You that sure they aren't dead?" Leilong asked.

"Don't get me wrong, we have a short window until they break the ship down for scrap," Cade continued. "And just because the Rev won't have any interest in the bio-android doesn't mean we can guarantee the same with his crew."

"Poor girl," Eddie muttered under her breath.

"So, what's our plan of action?" Saiyo announced, looking to the team for any suggestions.

"I'm thinking a direct attack would be suicide," Leilong admitted. "Even if we got close enough to board, they'll cut us down before we can do anything meaningful."

"And here I thought you were some big-shot one-man army," Eddie scoffed.

"I know when to stop pushing my luck, kid," Leilong glared at her. "Learn that, and you might live to see twenty."

"Cade," Mara began. "…You used to run with these guys, right?"

All eyes fell on Cade. "…Silas Absalom used to be Solomon's number two," Cade said. "Largely because Solomon felt that Silas was the only one who could kill him in a straight fight."

"Could he?" Leilong asked.

"…I don't think so," Cade shook his head. "He was too bloodthirsty. Too prone to make mistakes. Overlook things." Eddie shot a quick smirk at Cade, who pretended to ignore it. "Solomon is an opponent you can't risk mistakes dealing with. He's killed folk tougher than all of us before he underwent whatever happened to him." He looked at Leilong. "The name Rodger Thatch ring any bells?"

"The Ban admiral?" Leilong replied. "That was him?"

"Silas said he personally saw Solomon board Thatch's flagship. Fought his way through and put down the most extensively modified cyborg the frontier had ever seen. You think I'm stupid enough to take him in a "fair" fight, you are more than welcome to go before me."

"So what do we do now?" Mara asked. "We can't fight our way there. If we cut our losses now, all we get out of this is a ship split five ways."

"Six," Eddie muttered under her breath.

"What now?" Mara growled at her.

"A ship and a hostage you brought aboard, that's what we have," Eddie looked away. "If we "cut our losses," I guess that makes the kid part of the crew."

"Eddie," Mara sneered. "This "crew" we have, does not exist. I don't want anything to do with you or the kid and especially your partner. If we scrap this ship, I'm taking my portion and bolting, never to see any of you again."

The typically confrontational Eddie just looked away, not even meeting her eyes. Guilt from their previous encounter still wracked her nerves. In truth, looking back she felt ashamed that, in all likelihood, Eddie had probably been reminding Mara of her not-brief-enough time with Ashur. So as much as her instincts screamed for retaliation, Eddie bit her tongue and said nothing.

"There's still a way we can finish the job," Cade proposed.

"And how can we do that?" Saiyo asked.

"I've run with the crew long enough to know how some members procure their own funding. Saiyo, kill the power to the ship and activate a distress beacon."

"You want to lead them right to us?!" Saiyo exclaimed, mouth gapping along with Mara and Eddie. Leilong just looked over the shooter, comprehending the plan. He never took Cade as a fan of the classics.

"A squadron of ships will arrive, a fuel tanker among them. They will check over the ship and amend any issues. Might want to damage the engine a little to lure away suspicion," Cade further explained.

"So, you just want to expect the Rev's goons to suddenly become good Samaritans?" Mara asked, incredulously.

"By and large, they tend to follow his example," Cade explained. "A helpless ship in the middle of nowhere is not something worth brutalizing. They're a gang of drifters, so quite a lot of them are pretty handy and enjoy showing off so to others. That being said, they don't work for free, and they will help themselves to the ship's cargo."

"Which is where the four of us will be hiding," Leilong concluded. "As Saiyo flies off, the four of us will be unknowingly taken to the Dredholk, right under their noses."

"…Five," Eddie spoke up.

"Who would… you have to be kidding," Mara said, breathlessly as Eddie's meaning dawned on her. Leilong just stared at her while Cade shot her an ugly look.

"…We need a hacker," Eddie explained. "Unless you want to navigate that thing on your own, we need someone who can get us data quickly and quietly. The longer we go without setting off any alarms, the better for everyone."

"Eddie," Cade seethed. "You did not seriously propose bringing along a rogue element, did you?"

Leilong had suspected it for a while, but it had become apparent now that Cade was something of a control freak. Eddie's soft spot for the kid was something Cade did a rather poor job hiding his resentment over. Maybe he just didn't like kids, or maybe he didn't like how Eddie was willing to disregard following his instructions to the letter.

"He won't be a rogue element," Leilong replied. "We'll be watching over his shoulder the entire time. And he has an incentive to help his friends escape that place. As much as I hate to agree with Eddie, I think she has a point. None of you seem to be particularly code-literate."

Cade reached into his satchel, pulling out a device shaped like a soda can. "This is Wire Weasel. My Virtual Intelligence Personal Assistant. Whatever firewalls the Dredholk has set up, Dubs can power through."

"Dubs?" Mara said under her breath.

"But Cade, usually it takes you a half-hour to get through a door," Eddie countered.

"I have to take it slow so we don't set off any alarms," Cade shot back, which to Leilong almost sounded defensive.

"Jim knows his way around computers. Give him Wire Weasel and we can break through the whole ship in seconds," Eddie continued.

Cade's eyes widened in shock and anger. Wire Weasel was second only to his rifle as the most valuable tools he carried with him. Eddie was suggesting to him that he may as well saw off his arm. Next, she would be telling him to grow out his hair and dye it blue, lose all respect for himself while he was at it.

"Maximum efficiency," Leilong offered. "He will be guarded, and we will spend as little time on that ship as we need to."

Cade's eyes darted around the bridge. All eyes were in agreement. Cade wanted to plant a bullet in almost all of their heads, but his desire to finish the mission happened to be greater. Saiyo needed to fly the ship and act as a getaway if or when things got dicey, Mara still needed to pry that damn trinket out of the girl, and Leilong still had some use as a distraction in case Solomon got wind of them. He'd have a word with Eddie afterward about unsolicited requests for later, but he figured the kid getting himself killed would be lesson enough for her.

"Fine," Cade relented. "C'mon, Eddie, we got work to do."

As they parted, Cade turned back and reached into his satchel. "Catch," he announced as he pulled out Wire Weasel and tossed it to Leilong. "Give it to the kid. But be warned, if he as much as puts a scratch on it, I will scalp him."

Leilong snorted as he put the device in his own pocket. "Your sense of humor could use some work."

Eddie quickly turned over her shoulder and mouthed to Leilong. _He's not joking._

* * *

The two silently trudged through the dirty corridors of the ship. Every now and then a frightening looking raider would round the corner, but each and everyone gave the Rev a wide berth. Some of them seemed friendly around the walking corpse, others just averted their eyes. Some even glanced at her in an uncomfortable manner, but those times the Rev shot them a look that hastened them towards whatever direction they had been going.

Melfina had picked her revolver back from the floor after the Rev had pulled himself together. Upon repeating that there wasn't anything she could do, the Rev's demeanor had changed. His attitude had become solemn, demanding that Melfina leave his abode and return to her friends. Melfina was more than happy to do so, only to remember that she didn't know where they were. The Rev was about to bark that it wasn't his problem but realized that letting her on her own on this ship was basically an invitation to disaster, so he became her reluctant guardian through the decks of the ship.

Some distance away, Mel had heard a crashing noise somewhere above them. This ship didn't seem particularly sturdy, but all the care it elicited from the Rev was an annoyed groan.

"Jaller!" he screamed at a passing bandit right before he risked a chance slapping Mel's rear. "Get a crew and as many tranq rounds as you can from the pharmacy. Put both of those idiots under and lock them up until they both come to their senses!"

"Got it, boss!" the sketchy man nodded as he hurried off, Melfina curious to see if there was anything on the back of her pants that had gotten his attention.

"Your friend must be quite the fighter. Rukko is the guy I have to keep the rest of these idiots in line. Can't much afford to have him struggle this much with one girl," The Rev said aloud.

"You aren't going to hurt her, are you?" Melfina asked.

"No," The Rev shook his head. "Maybe she'll settle down when Rukko stops flirting."

"That's flirting?" Melfina asked, incredulously.

"Hey, the Ctarl are a strange and mysterious culture," The Rev said as he peered over her shoulder. Melfina was about to respond before she thought about the point, shrugged her shoulders, and conceded.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Ctarl-Ctarl like him," Melfina said.

"That's because he's an Ursan-Ursan," the Rev replied. "A genetic and societal off-shoot that are normally found on the ice moon of Arcius II."

"I didn't think the Ctarl liked the cold that much," Mel said.

"They don't, but when your sub-species are exiled there for a rebellion centuries ago, what choice do you have? Rukko was raised off sea-mouse blubber and Ice Leviathan jerky since he was a little kit. The only ways to leave the moon are to get drafted into the Ctarl-Ctarl military. Ever hear of Eshvast IV? The Ctarl-Ctarl military figured that the best way to counter cyborgs, power armor, and genetically modified soldiers was to lift the generational sentences of the hardiest warriors in their empire. That, my dear, is how the military forces of all four human empires were forced into a stalemate by a bunch of near-primitive cave-kitties."

"Wow, you seem to know a lot about the Ctarl," Melfina said. "Aisha normally just says they are superior to humans in every way imaginable."

"Yeah, Rukko was like that the first month or so," the Rev admitted. "Problem is they are easy to bait. It's a real simple matter to trick a Ctarl-Ctarl into fighting on your terms. It's not just an ego thing, too, it's how the species has been hardwired for millennia. It's why it took them so long to consolidate their clans and dynasties under a singular Sovereign. Well, that and the mycanoids."

"I see," Melfina said. "You know, you are actually nice to talk to."

The Rev wheeled on her. "Spare me the act. I'm not letting your friends go."

"W-what?" Melfina asked, surprised.

"You can flutter your eyelashes, shed some tears, or even threaten to tell anyone about my outburst back there, I'm not letting your friends go," the Rev insisted.

"I…I know…" Melfina dropped her gaze. "There's nothing I can say to you that can change your mind."

"Good. Glad we can clear that up," The Rev sniffed.

"It's my fault, anyway," Melfina added, her voice shaking.

"Yep," The Rev replied, annoyed.

"…I'm sorry, but I don't want them to die," the Rev heard as the sound of a hammer getting snapped back reached his ears. A smile crept on his face as he turned around to stare down the barrel of a trembling revolver.

"This again?" the Rev asked, jokingly.

"If it means not watching you kill my friends, I will fight you," Melfina replied, trying to force herself to be brave.

"You know that isn't how it works," the Rev stated as the entity swam in front of him. "This isn't a fair fight. Only way it is would be if I," the Rev paused to draw his weapon. "pointed at you as well," he finished as the black entity receded. "Go on, girl. Take your shot."

Melfina thought back to her short few months of life. Meeting Gene and Jim with Hilda, traveling the stars, finding the XGP, getting to know her friends, getting to know herself, finding out the truth of her origins, and how little it mattered. It felt like a good, full life. So why did it seem so short, and why did the thought of it ending like this terrify her?

Melfina dropped the revolver again to her side, shoulders heaving. For the second time, she couldn't save her friends. When it mattered most, she failed. She was a coward, unwilling to risk her life after all the times they risked theirs for her. Melfina let a sob escape, angry at herself for not being able to even pretend to be as brave as the others.

"I hope we are done with this pleasant little diversion," the Rev said as he turned to walk away. He heard something drop to the floor behind him, and turned to see Melfina on her knees, her face buried in her sleeve. He rolled his eyes, he just told the dumb bitch waterworks wouldn't work. "C'mon, don't make me drag you by the hair," he sighed.

"I can't go back there," Melfina choked out. "If I'm not able to stop you, then what good am I to anyone? I'm worse than useless."

The Rev was expecting an appeal to his emotions, but not the same ugly self-loathing he felt after winning another fight to the death. He empathized with her, the frustration of not being able to do that which mattered more than anything.

"…Maybe…" the Rev began before he realized what he was saying. Melfina looked up, sniffing. "…How about this," the Rev relented. "You can save one of your friends."

"H-how?" Melfina asked.

"Just… pick," the Rev shrugged. "Pick one of your friends, and you can get back on your ship and leave, you will not be chased."

Melfina's mind raced. The first thought through her head was that she could save Gene, followed by a crippling pang of guilt for leaving Suzuka and Aisha behind. After all they sacrificed to come this far, leaving them behind would basically be spitting in their faces for all their hard work and friendship. She thought about her life without the laughter Aisha brought, the calm Suzuka represented, and the passion Gene shared with her. Or maybe, a little voice in the darkest part of her heart spoke up, maybe we could just start over. An ominous sense of familiarity filled her heart.

The Rev watched over her as he impatiently tapped his foot. He was about to tell her to hurry up when a squad of his reavers swung around the corner to greet him. "Sir, an unknown ship has just docked with us."

"Just do- You mean they just docked with us without permission?!" the Rev screamed. "How did they sneak up on us?"

"The boys on the comms think it's some of the newer stealth tech," another suggested.

"Well, who is on it, then?" the Rev asked.

"We just count two individuals, a Silgrian and a Saurian," the last relayed.

The Rev froze up. "…There's three of them," he sighed. "Spread out and find that dickhead with the cane."

"Sir?" the three asked simultaneously.

"NOW!" the Rev roared as they scattered.

"Mr. um, Huckebein, who is here?" Melfina asked, nervously.

The Rev grabbed her by the arm and hurried her to the holding area. "Of all the things I want to deal with today, now has to be the time he personally comes to visit," the Rev hissed as he dragged her down the corridor.

* * *

The holding cell was a refurbished shipping container with sparse amenities. It had four cots arranged as bunk-beds, some cheap and mismatched couches surrounding a table, and even a small bathroom in the back with a curtain for privacy. Currently, Gene was pacing back and forth while Harry stood in the corner and tapped his foot with a rapid staccato rhythm. Suzuka sat on the couch, counting the seconds. "…Fourteen minutes forty seconds," she muttered quietly to herself.

The door latch opened, and Melfina was brusquely shoved inside. The Rev briefly peered in to count all its occupants before slamming the door shut. Gene rushed to greet Mel, only to be shoved aside by Harry as he beat him to her.

"Are you OK?" Harry asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"BACK OFF!" Gene shouted as he pushed her away. "…What he said," he admitted.

"N-no," Melfina admitted. "I'm OK. He just wanted to talk."

"About what?" Gene and Harry said, simultaneously.

"…The Leyline," she answered. "He wanted to know if I could still find it."

"Greedy bastard," Gene muttered.

"What more could he possibly want?" Harry scoffed.

"…He wants to die," Melfina admitted. "And the only way he can is if someone beats him in a fair duel. If you all attack him at the same time, he'll just get back up and pick you apart one by one. He has this… thing that keeps him from passing on, he's barely alive and losing more with every return. That's… that's why he wanted to talk to me," Melfina looked away, embarrassed. "…He thought I could help him break the curse."

"Well, screw him," Harry snorted.

"He also…" Melfina clamped her mouth shut.

"Mel, what?" Gene asked.

"…Nevermind, it's not important," Melfina said as she joined Suzuka next to the couch. Gene, finally relaxed, went to lay on the bed. Harry returned to his previous position, folding his arms as he continued to scan the room for any weaknesses. Suzuka looked over to Melfina. "…You're a poor liar," Suzuka whispered, just softly enough for only Melfina to pick up. "…I know," Melfina whispered back.

The door latch suddenly opened up again. The unconscious and prone body of Aisha was rudely thrown inside, her body covered in darts as fell to the ground. She snored loudly as she curled up in a ball, her ravaged outfit and scuffed appearance telling the occupants everything they needed to know.

Rukko stood at the doorway, breathing heavily as he fought to keep himself awake. "VICTORY!" he howled as he beat his chest in a primal triumph. His celebration continued for a few seconds until the darts littering his back finally brought him down. He fell face forward, snoring into the floor of the container. The platoon of reavers outside who had brought them both down gingerly approached the snoozing enforcer and gingerly grabbed him by the legs. One of the reavers peered up to the room's occupants. "…We'll get you guys breakfast in the morning. Just, uh, sit tight till then. OK, night," he said as he shut the door once Rukko cleared it.

* * *

Solomon finally made his way to the corridor where he had been sighted. Several fire teams had boxed in the intruder, their guns trained on him. The well-dressed man himself looked unconcerned, merely leaning on his cane as he checked his watch. Upon the Rev's arrival, his face lit up as he found his old acquaintance. "At last. Mr. Huckebein, if you would be so kind as to give us some privacy," Mr. Howard asked.

"Boss, we got him cornered, should we light him up?" one of the gunners asked.

"No, I'll take care of him from here," the Rev replied. "Stand down, return to your duties. As you all were," he ordered. Slowly and reluctantly, the gunners complied, filing away as the Rev stared down the thing that called itself Mr. Howard.

"Why are you here?" The Rev asked.

"To give you a warning. I hear you have the crew of the Outlaw Star in your possession," Mr. Howard absently relayed as he inspected his cane.

"My business isn't yours, freak. Stay out of it," the Rev growled.

"It will be soon," Mr. Howard grinned. "How many of the crew do you believe will put up a good chance against you in a straight fight?"

"…Three…" the Rev said. "Maybe four, but I doubt MacDougal the younger has anything Thatch didn't have."

"…How would you like to nearly double the number of combatants against you," Mr. Howard grinned.

"What's this now?" The Rev asked, intrigued despite himself.

"By… sheer coincidence," Mr. Howard grinned, "I have in my employ a handful of the best assassins on the market. The very same people Starwind was pursuing, as it so happens. Now, to make a long story short, Starwind has in his possessions certain… material that I require. So I would like to offer you a deal. My assassins for my material," Mr. Howard grinned.

"Any names I know?" The Rev asked.

"Chau Leilong," Mr. Howard began.

The Rev cocked a non-existent brow.

"Edwina Skorzeny," Mr. Howard continued.

The Rev pondered the familiar memory.

"And Cade Black."

A slow smile crept across the Rev's face. "Little Dunk all grown up, huh?" he laughed. "Alright, Phil, you have yourself a deal," the Rev said as he extended his hand, spitting on it first.

Mr. Howard looked at the gesture, cocked his head to the side, and in turn spat up black ichor onto his own palm. They shook hands at the Rev's palm simmered and boiled. The Rev was too focused on the upcoming opportunities to pay it any mind. Mr. Howard ecstatically thought about close he was to the gate, and how soon all the necessary pieces would be in place.

_A/N: The few bits of Ctarl-Ctarl culture that may pop up now and later in the fic may have some similarities with the work of the writer Synthesis, who is A: possibly the tab's best world-builder, and B: whos work I will not be copying whole-sale. Their version of the Ctarl-Ctarl is not my interpretation, and I have my own radically different vision regarding certain elements about them. I may borrow a term here and there, but I've little interest in plagiarizing from another author. Not that I could do their interpretation of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire any justice in the first place._


	16. Boxed

_When others hesitate, we act._

_Where others break, we endure_

_Should others fail, we succeed._

_We are the knives in the shadows_

_The axe above the neck_

_We shall live without honor_

_We shall die without recognition_

_Unmourned, but necessary_

_Survival is irrelevant_

_Victory is paramount!_

_Creed of the STAMP Brigade_

Chapter 16: Boxed

The team stood before two crates amongst others. The cargo inside them had been relocated, leaving both hollow. Most of the team's incidentals were merged with the rest of the cargo, like Leilong's pack, Mara's case, and Cade's rifle. They'd be traveling in light. Now they just had to work on the arrangements.

"…So, how are we doing this?" Mara asked.

"Boys take one, girls take the other?" Cade suggested.

Mara bristled. "Absolutely not," she hissed.

"Cade and I can take one," Eddie offered. "You and Leilong can take the other."

Leilong's back started to act up. Trapped in such a confined situation for who knew how long already made his body ache at the notion. He looked over to Mara, a full-figured woman in her own right, and pondered how the endeavor would play out. Things could get real awkward real quick. Speaking of awkward…

Jim stood at the center of the group, staring at both crates. "…We couldn't just have picked three?"

"And leave you unattended?" Cade asked. "That would be irresponsible."

"This is the best way to save your friends," Leilong offered.

"Oh, so now you want to save them," Jim scoffed.

"Considering who they're with, going after them now would come off as redundant," Cade offered, much to the derision of the rest of the team.

"What Cade means," Mara began, "is that it is in our interests to keep them safe and alive," she explained as Cade rolled his eyes.

"So here's the plan," Eddie offered. "Cade and I b-line it to secure the Outlaw Star, while you guys find the crew and spring them out of wherever they are."

"And where am I going to be?" Jim asked.

"Your call," Leilong stated. "You can ride with Mara and I or join up with Cade and Eddie. I'm sure you'll make yourself useful either way."

Jim looked between his options. Leilong had proven in the past to be honorable, and he claimed to take his promise to try and protect Jim's crew to the best of his abilities. Mara, however, was another matter. She was still intent on hurting Mel, and Jim wasn't able to let the notion go.

On the other hand, Eddie had proven to be a rather… interesting character. At first, he thought she was obnoxious and annoying. Come to think of it, he still thought that. However, that was roughly his assessment of Gene himself, and he trusted his older brother with his life ever since the Wolf incident. With that in mind, Eddie came off as something of an… acquired taste. Something you'd get used to after a while. Like black coffee.

Jim's eyes then met the other pair staring him down. Every other person on this ship had made some attempt to be accommodating to him with one notable exception. Cade had hardly spoken two words to him since he was "invited" on this ship. If it was just a matter of not feeling friendly it would be of no issue to him, Jim figured. No, what bothered him about Cade was the predatory look in his eyes every time they passed. Jim didn't think Cade struck him as someone with… peculiar inclinations, and as much as he resented the rest of the team, he figured they were all scrupulous enough to avoid dealing with someone like that. So why was it that his blood ran cold every time Cade stared him down?

"…Guess I'm joining you two," Jim said as he looked towards Leilong and Mara. Leilong immediately began stretching, seeing as he'd likely get no spare space now. Mara creased out her blouse and braced herself for the tight space. Eddie looked away, trying to hide her dejection. Cade smiled.

Three hours later.

The fuel tanker had pulled alongside the stranded grappler ship as its interceptors patrolled the tight perimeter. Saiyo sat on the bridge as the rough looking crew of the hauler entered, their suspicious-looking leader dusting his hands. "Well, looks like we've found the problem. One of your sub-ether engines was all kaput," he explained as he blew a short raspberry to emphasize.

"It's a small miracle you showed when you did," Saiyo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, talk about mutually beneficial," the leader crowed. "You get saved and we get paid!"

"Wait, what?" Saiyo balked.

"Some of the boys helped themselves to the cargo. Compared to what we just did for you, we're being pretty generous that we're just taking stuff from the hold. Consider it a servicing fee!" the leader grinned.

"YOU… You're no better than pirates!" Saiyo growled.

"Hey, even Good Samaritans got to eat!" the leader shrugged.

Saiyo grumbled as the interloping crew waved goodbye, snickering as they left with the majority of the cargo in the hold. As they left and the tanker broke off, Saiyo sat at the console and exhaled. So far the plan went off without a hitch. All five were on the tanker and headed back to rendezvous with the Dredholk. Still, Saiyo couldn't relax. Too much of this "plan" was up in the air. Saiyo kept the ships on his scanner as he powered away in the other direction. Amongst the cargo that had been offloaded also contained a beacon that Saiyo would be able to home in on. He wasn't going to lose that tanker, even if it took him straight to the Dredholk itself. Worst came to worst, he had to at least attempt to extract them if things went wrong.

* * *

As the crate settled onto the ground, Mara took a few extra hits on the rebreather before passing it to Leilong. As her misfortune would have it, she found herself sitting on his lap, with the added indignity of having a growing child straddling her as his face was almost buried in her chest. She wasn't much for claustrophobia, but it was legitimately hard to breathe in this position. Leilong took a few hits before passing it to Jim.

"…This is the stupidest plan I've ever been involved with," Jim growled. "And I've been involved in some garbage."

"I'm sure this ranks up there for me, as well," Leilong admitted as he tried to shift his legs under Mara's rear.

"…If nobody dies," Mara muttered. "…it'll be worth it."

Jim and Leilong shot looks at one another. "…You doing OK?" Leilong asked.

"I'm just fine," Mara replied. "Could use a bit more room, though. Seems like you're really thrilled to have me on your lap, huh?" Mara chuckled.

"Very funny," Leilong replied as Jim rolled his eyes. Now wasn't the time to think about hooking up, not like there was enough room to do anything anyway. At least that was what he told himself.

"How long have you been working with those two?" Jim asked.

"…Better part of two years. Why?" Mara asked.

"…How likely is it that they'll leave my friends alone if they get what they want?" Jim asked.

"…If she's distracted enough, Eddie probably won't pull anything," Mara said.

"And what about the other?" Jim asked.

"… He's trustworthy," Mara said, though her statement was tinged in bitterness.

"I mean, he seems easier to get along with than Eddie most of the time," Jim said.

Mara had to stop herself from laughing. She managed to squeeze a hand to her mouth to stop the derisive snort from giving away their position. In truth, what she wanted to do was scream.

"…That's what he wants you to think, kid," Mara explained. "He thinks that after making someone deal with Eddie long enough, he'll come off as reasonable. Kid, Eddie is just a bitch. Cade is a monster."

"What did he do to you?" Jim asked.

Leilong could feel the heat coming off of Mara. "Drop it, Jim," Leilong advised. "Just focus on learning your new toy and using it to find your friends before the other two do."

* * *

"He doesn't trust you," Cade said.

Eddie sat with her back turned to him, staring off into the dark as Cade went to work on her.

"Don't bother wasting any more time on that "trust" crap, the kid barely likes you," Cade continued.

Eddie just sat and listened, nursing the rebreather to her face as she tried to calm herself.

"And if he ever did trust you, you'll never be able to trust him," Cade kept up. "Would you tell him about the things you've done? The things you are?"

Eddie passed the rebreather over her shoulder. Cade took it and breathed a few whiffs. "He'll judge you. Anyone else would. That's what I do for you, Eddie. I never judge. I never look down on you, prattle about redemption or forgiveness. What you've done, what we've done, is set in stone and will never, should never, be forgotten."

Eddie nodded, gripping her batons in a fist as she let Cade's words fill her mind. When left alone for long, her mind tended to… busy itself with unhealthy thoughts that often led to unhealthy actions. Her last overdose was three months ago, and Cade was barely able to bring her back. He had been furious, but it was all the more reason to pledge her life to the only person in the universe who cared enough about her to go through that much trouble for her. Cade was the one person she trusted above all else.

"Don't waste time wallowing in guilt. I mean, look at all the good that's done for Mara," Cade said. "She wanted an extraction, she got an extraction. "By any means necessary." Imagine being so bitter about getting exactly what you wanted," Cade scoffed.

"She didn't know," Eddie replied.

"…Excuse me?" Cade asked.

"She knew nothing about how you operated," Eddie repeated. "When she said that, she didn't have any idea about what that entailed. She didn't ask for that massacre, that was your decision," Eddie shot back.

"I did exactly what she wanted," Cade hissed.

"The way you wanted to do it," Eddie added. From the way he was breathing, she could tell Cade was furious. In all their time working together, Eddie never dissented from whatever tangent or strategy Cade proposed. This was not entirely due to her limitless loyalty, but also because she believed Cade was always correct in his ultimate judgments. But something about his treatment of Mara and recently of Jim began to awaken certain… nascent thoughts about how their partnership was supposed to work.

"It was the best possible outcome," Cade growled. "Maximum efficiency, minimal risk."

"…If you wanted to be efficient, why didn't you invite me along?" Eddie asked.

"…You're reckless, you take too many risks," Cade answered, hesitating.

"But that never stopped you before," Eddie replied. "After all the jobs we've done together, why did I sit home for that one?"

"This conversation is over," Cade snarled. "Get your head in the game and stay focused."

Eddie realized she had inadvertently struck a nerve. Normally, Cade would snap at her if he thought she wasn't focusing or giving her utmost attention to whatever endeavor they were about to undertake, but this was the first time he'd reacted like this to a personal question. Cade was usually rather private, keeping mostly to himself, but Eddie had felt he trusted her on some personal level. She never expected this much resistance to someone who took pains to be as honest as possible.

* * *

"We ain't supposed to be here, Reggie," one voice spoke up.

"Shut up, boss'll have enough spoils to divvy up when we get back to the rest, no one's going to miss some stuff from the top."

"He's been eyeing that saber for a while," Reggie said as his partner Anji dug through the cargo. "What are you looking for, anyway?"

"Just… curiosity," Anji explained as he eyed a suitcase the size of an artillery piece. "The guy was traveling by his lonesome, right? So why so much cargo?"

"Courier ships be like that," Reggie shrugged.

"Problem with that, Reg, that ain't no courier ship. And I didn't read no manifest anywhere," Anji explained as he eyed one of the containers. "So I just have to ask what exactly they were carrying if he wasn't going to fuss about losing it."

Anji got behind one of the containers and swiftly gave it a kick in the side, knocking it over. The sudden force caused the occupants to slam into the lid, all three sprawling out onto the hull floor as Reggie trained his submachine gun on them.

Leilong's eyes suddenly adjusted to the light as two rough-looking outlaws stared down the stowaways. The one called Reggie was a stout and surly-looking brawler-type, while his shifty, rat-like partner appraised the three newcomers.

"Thought we was hiding something uninvited," Anji laughed as he drew out his pistol. "You three had better have a real entertaining story before I throw you off the ship."

Leilong, Mara, and Jim all looked at one another. The thought of being caught early wasn't something they had expected to deal with. At worst, they figured they'd have a few hours to themselves in the cargo hold. That being said, no one panicked. Clearly, all three of them had found themselves on the wrong ends of guns before.

"…We're refugees," Jim spoke up.

"Refugees?" Anji repeated as he cocked his brow.

"Y-yes," Mara nodded. "This is my little brother Charles. We're traveling with our Dad."

"Uh…Kids, shut up," Leilong decided to add. "Let me handle this." Leilong took a moment to catch his breath. He pulled from all the recent events he'd been following. "We're from Cascadia. Things got really bloody and I had to spend most of the wong I had to my name to book this flight. Looks like the other guy screwed us over. We just want passage, that's all."

"That so?" Anji said as he grabbed Mara by the arm and dragged her up. "Well, how about I ask you all the details privately, starting with this fine piece of ass?"

Jim started forward but was blocked by Leilong's arm. "That won't be necessary," Leilong shook his head.

"It won't, huh?" Anji grinned. "Tell you what, then? I'm going to count to three, and when I do, you all tell me where on Cascadia you're from. Ready? 1…"

Leilong acted as quickly as he could. He bolted forward, knocking Mara out of Anji's grasp and sending him flying into the cargo hold. As he moved to strike Reggie, he felt the stock of the weapon crack against his skull, the other thug prepared for someone to make a move. What he was not prepared for was the sudden blow between his legs, the blond kid's fist expertly finding its mark, a skill he'd used many times over the years.

As Anji struggled to his feet, something buried in the cargo came crashing to the ground. Seeing the stock, Anji scrambled to pick up the weapon. Grabbing it, he pointed it towards the three as Mara and Jim moved to restrain Reggie.

"NOW NOBODY MOVE!" Anji screamed. A moment later, a realization hit him. This weapon he was holding was familiar. "…What the…" he said as he unconsciously lowered his weapon.

The lid to the other crate gently creaked open. The tip of a revolver slowly peeked out, planting two slugs into Anji before Eddie flung open the hatch and threw a fully charged stun baton into Reggie. Cade dragged himself out of the box as Eddie went to retrieve her baton. "Eddie, take Leilong and secure the ship. If you find a guy who looks like a weasel, take him alive," Cade instructed as he shot a third slug into the head of Anji. "Mara, follow those two. Patch them up if they get hurt, don't waste any material on the crew."

Eddie immediately stormed into the corridor, and the noise from shouts and gunfire was muffled through the walls. Leilong immediately went to collect some of his equipment from his pack. "What about you?" Leilong asked.

"I'm going to have a message for the captain when you bring him back," Cade said as he pulled out a knife. He looked over to Jim. "You want to help or what?"

Jim shot a look between the sniper and the assassin. "…I think I'd rather be with the rest of them," Jim said as he took off after Eddie and Mara.

Cade shrugged. "Suits himself," he said as he began carving the scalp. Leilong turned away in disgust at the desecration. Cade was a strange one, to put it mildly. He wanted to trust him, at he certainly came off as reliable, yet there was something about him that bothered Leilong to the core. _All the more reason to get this job done as soon as possible._

* * *

"YOU TRY THAT IN THE FIELD AND I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" Ashur screamed over the intercom as he watched the STAMP brigade navigated their way through the training arena. It was an urbanized setup, close quarters, and multiple vantage points. The objective was simple. Elimination of all opposition.

Against them were roughly a company's worth of Strum troops, the armored gunners who were some of the finest heavy infantry in the Federation. They'd been instructed that this exercise was to be treated as a live-fire drill. Therefore, the soldiers were all armed with live ammunition.

Against them, watched over by their commander, were the STAMP brigade. Masters of CQC, and specialists in anti-magic combat. Of course, by now Ashur had seen to the deaths of nearly every mage Einhorn asked him to kill, and he was eager to retrain his soldiers in other matters.

His soldiers wore gas masks, were lightly armored, and focused more on aggressive maneuvering and tactics. Ashur watched as a squad climbed up through the narrow walls, jumping from the ledges even as two were brought down by rounds. The survivors beset themselves on the fire team on the top floor, their stun batons at the ready as they viciously brought down the gunners.

"DON'T STOP NOW! I WANT ALL OF THEM ON THE GROUND BEFORE THIS IS OVER! WINNING IS ALL THAT MATTERS! DIE IF YOU HAVE TO!" Ashur screamed. In truth, the STAMP brigade was his pride and joy, his contribution to the Strum Korp, and his legacy. His children, more or less. Not that any of them would know, he grinned.

"Sir, there's a line for you," one of his attendants spoke up. Ashur reluctantly dimmed the viewer as another STAMP squad surrounded and beat down another team of troopers. He glanced at the transmission's signature. He turned his lip up in disgust. Commander Ruebryn.

"What do you want, Connor?" Ashur snarled as he opened his line.

"New orders from Count Welles. Priority one. We got a hit on Phil Howard."

Ashur raised his eyebrow. "Do we?" his mood began to raise.

"That's the good news. The signal from his ship popped up near the Black Ether Sea."

"Still waiting for the bad news," Ashur replied.

"Along with a small armada of unregistered rogue spacecraft. One of them seems to share a registration with that of a lost Ouranos-class super-frieghter."

"Ah, so these outlaws got some serious hardware?" Ashur smirked. "Good, I was afraid it would get boring."

"Cmdr. Osterman and I are moving to your position as we speak," Ruebryn relayed.

"Too bad, I won't give you the opportunity to take my prey from me," Ashur snarled as he sat up and got back on the intercom. "ATTENTION ALL PERSONEL IN THE TRAINING ARENA! THE EXERCISE IS CANCELLED! ALL STAMP MEMBERS ARE TO HEAD TO A BREACHING VESSEL, YOU SHALL BE BRIEFED ON THE OPERATION AS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE! ALL OTHER PERSONEL NOT TENDING TO THE WOUNDED, MAN YOUR STATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!"

"Send me all the info you have about the Ouranos class ship-type. I'll have my staff look it over," Ashur said as he prepared to leave.

"What about you?" Ruebryn asked.

"I'm going to take my personal squad with me to the Raptor. You know what I do best?" Ashur asked, rhetorically.

"Kill whoever Welles tells you to kill?" Ruebryn answered.

"Aggressive reconnaissance, as you would call it," Ashur grinned. _Or as my last job put it, raiding, _he thought to himself.

Under the Praetorian, a V-shaped grappler ship sat docked in its hanger. Waiting in the loading area were six of his most dedicated and talented STAMP troops, his personal bodyguard. Uniformly, they all turned as he passed by them and joined him in the bowels of the Raptor, Ashur's personal craft. It had been a while since Ashur had been in a proper dogfight. He hoped that someone amongst these new faces could put up a fight worth a damn. And, he figured as his ship unlatched from the heavy assault cruiser, if Mr. Howard was still in contact with his hired help, he would very much like to finally get acquainted with them. Or reacquainted, he thought with a smile.


	17. Kitty Love

_The Ursan-Ursan. Within, they are a proud, noble people with a long and storied history. Without, they are a brutal and callous collection of tribes, consisting of butchers and killers. As a result of fighting for the losing side of a Ctarl civil war centuries ago, the peoples of the Ursan-Ursan were exiled to an ice moon orbiting the Ctarl homeworld. There, the tribes quickly fought over the scarce fertile territory near the equator, surviving against the treacherous fauna and vicious rival tribes, developing a culture of hardiness and savagery. Upon the beginnings of the First Ctarl-Terran War, largely a series of skirmishes over the resources of border worlds, the human empires of Tempa and Einhorn deployed various measures that threatened to break through the battle lines of the planet. In response, the ruling dynasty of the Ctarl-Ctarl lifted the ancestral exile of these savage Ursan-Ursan warriors. The months-long siege was broken in a matter of weeks, and for the first time since their galactic expansion, the humans sued for peace. Since then, the Ursan-Ursan have usually functioned as either bodyguards for Ctarl nobles or traveled the stars as bounty hunters, their seemingly brutish nature belying their instinctual cunning and berserker-like ferocity._

Chapter 17: Kitty Love

A small puddle of drool began building around Rukko's face. He grasped his war-maul with both hands as his legs began to kick during his dream of tracking down another ice leviathan. Cassandra continued her brewing, doing her best to ignore the snoring. Losing her patience, she lifted a capsule of smelling salts out of her satchel and tossed them right under the nose of the passed out Rukko.

The warrior awoke with a startle, kicking himself to his feet in a moment while looking around. "…Where is she?" he asked.

"…The kitten rests with her companions. They await destiny in a few hours," Cassandra explained.

Rukko sat on his bottom as he pondered the last few events he could remember. After the Ctarl had broken free, she had made her way to the bazaar level of the ship, tearing it apart as she tried to demand where Solomon had taken her friend. By the time Rukko caught up with her, she had leveled half the marketplace and was about to be surrounded by some of the heavy gunners. Rukko intervened, they fought, and that was largely what happened until both their bodies were peppered by tranquilizers.

Rukko looked around the room. It was covered in various runes, symbols, and tattered passages from ancient tomes of whatever antiquity. Cassandra was an obnoxious yet vital member of the Rev's Horde. Someone had to keep the crazies in line when threats wouldn't quite do the mark, and her genuine talent for magics had proven handy for more than a few desperados.

"…How long was I out?" Rukko asked.

"…Time is relative, warrior," Cassandra chuckled. "Its flow is subjective, beholden only to its witnesses as it dares to be process…" Rukko growled. "…Four hours," Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"…Have the fights started?" Rukko asked.

"The Rev's destiny is scheduled for noon," Cass stated, referring to the Dredholks internal clock, in the absence of planetary statuses.

"So, she's still alive, heh?" Rukko grinned. He jumped to his feet. "I never thought I'd get me a mate this far into Terran space."

The old crone looked at him. "…Perhaps she has other concerns than joining you in your den? The fate of her family weighs heavy on her mind, perhaps?"

Rukko scoffed. "She's a down-on-her-luck aristocrat. That blue mark on her cheek notates a "noble" upbringing, high on the rungs of "proper" Ctarl society. And yet here she is, slumming around with Terran vagrants!"

"You have so much in common," Cass muttered.

"I know!" Rukko stated, cheerily. "The Empire wants nothing to do with either of us, so who would dare oppose a union between a Ctarl and an Ursan?"

"She would," Cass stated, flatly.

"Well, then, I suppose we'll just have to approach this with Ursan courtship guidelines," Rukko grinned. "If she don't want me to touch her, she don't let me."

Cass gazed at him, her expression unreadable.

"…Fine," Rukko deflated. "You want the truth, I admit it. I'm lonely. I'm tired of leading these apes into fights I know I'll win. My best friend is someone I gave up trying to kill. The Saurians don't understand why I do things and the Lorgans give me the creeps. I'm tired of being alone, and… I think she is, too."

"…To woo her," Cass began. "One must provide something she seeks. Sometimes, it is stability. Other times, excitement. Romance is often a fickle thing, my dearest Rukko."

Rukko began stroking his chin. "…We've never even been able to speak. How would I know what she wants?"

"You've just answered your question!" Cass exclaimed. "Getting her voice back is what she seeks! Giving it back to her would put her in your debt, and you know Ctarl hate to be in one's debt!" she grinned.

"Very funny," Rukko snorted. "So, you can heal the shreddi-gup wounds?"

"I cannot," Cass shook her head. "…But a concoction I can brew can soothe the throat and mend the wounds. Granted, it usually takes three months to brew with the ingredients I have on hand."

Rukko rent his claws through his scalp in frustration. "Not to worry, though. For just such an occasion, I did go through the recipe and began brewing it. Last I believe, it has been roughly two months, three weeks, six days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-eight mi-"

A timer dinged over another cauldron. "Well, there we go!" Cass exclaimed as she sank a leathery draught into the muck, filling the skin as she passed it to Rukko.

Rukko glanced at her, suspiciously. "…You planned this," he muttered. "You knew in advance she was coming?"

Cass looked away. "…Though prophecies are not things to take lightly, I will confess to sometimes peeking in should it fetch my interests."

Rukko glared down the old crone as she put her wait on her staff. Suddenly, and without warning, Rukko lunged for the old crone, pulling her in the air. He started laughing.

"And all this time I just thought you were some creepy old whackjob! Why didn't you tell me you just wanted to be my wingman?"

"The future is not something to take lightly!" the crone tried to get out. "Not to mention that like a river, time is never exactly fixed in a single directioOOF!" she tried to explain before Rukko dropped her on the floor.

"Cass, you're the best, you hideous, beautiful woman!" Rukko proclaimed. "…So, how soon until I score?" he asked with a mischievous grin."

"…The silent blade approaches, the greatest trial…" Cass tried to explain.

"Ah!" Rukko held out a hand. "…Don't tell me. Keep that part a surprise!" With that, Rukko left the crone to her own devices.

"…It was a pleasure to know you, my friend," Cass regarded the warrior with solemn sincerity. "May the gift I have provided you anchor you for the fight ahead. I wish upon you all the fortune I shall not receive."

* * *

Melfina sat on the couch as Suzuka practiced her stances, while Aisha focused on calisthenics, and while Harry sat immobile by the wall. Gene was with her, counting off his caster shells as he muttered to himself. "Those damn wizard shells are looking pretty good about now. One #4 should be all I need to put that bastard out of commission for good. Too bad we aren't anywhere near Tenrei, but with the six I got on me now…"

Melfina snaked her hand onto Gene's. He looked at her and saw the emergent tears in her eyes.

"Hey," Gene lowered his voice gently. "We're going to get out of this. I'm going to blow that bastard's head off and we'll be out of here less than an hour later."

A lump formed in Melfina's throat.

"…We're going to find Jim," Gene put his gun to the side while he took both her hands. "I promise you. When this is all over, it will be nothing but a setback. We'll all be together in the end, I promise."

Melfina broke her eye contact. She took a few quick, deep breaths before finally pulling her lips to Gene's ear. "…Solomon promised me I could save one of you."

Gene was clearly taken aback by this. "What?!"

Suzuka and Aisha both dropped what they were doing, turning to the two lovers as Melfina felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Harry sat immobile; apparently not even registering something had happened.

"…When I was with Solomon, he offered me a deal. If I pick one of you, we'll be able to leave unharmed," Melfina got out.

"And the rest of us?" Suzuka asked.

Mel buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry. I should have told you all earlier, but I didn't want…"

"…You didn't want to turn your back on anyone," Gene finished.

Tears poured down Melfina's cheeks. "After everything all of you have done for me, I could never live with myself if I betrayed any of you. But…"

"If we all fall, you will be left alone," Suzuka added, morosely.

"…I can't save Jim by myself…" Melfina sniffed. "…I didn't have the courage to stand up for any of you when I tried to shoot the Rev."

Suzuka recoiled in shock while Aisha bristled. Gene grabbed Melfina and pulled her close. "Melfina, it is our job to protect you! You shouldn't put yourself in a position where someone can hurt you for our sakes! We can defend ourselves!"

"Can Jim?!" Melfina cried. "If I pick one of you, we might have a chance at saving him! But if I leave any of you behind…" she covered her face. "…How can I look him in the eyes?"

As Melfina sobbed into her arms, Gene looked over to his partners. Aisha looked away, not wanting to see her friend upset. Suzuka cast her eyes down. She took a deep breath and finally stated. "Melfina, pick Gene."

Both Gene and Melfina were shocked into stillness. The room was so quiet they could hear the hull creak and shutter around them. Gene's eyes widened in surprise while Melfina tried to remember how to breathe.

"…Gene is the best pilot among all of us," Suzuka tried to explain, logically. "Working together, the two of you have the best chance of catching the Shangri-La and rescuing Jim. It will be a tough fight, but together, I think you both have the best chance."

Aisha sulked as she sat on the bed, grateful she couldn't talk so she couldn't try to shout down Suzuka's sense to protect her own pride. She was a ship commander, dammit, not a helmswoman. Not to mention she'd never forgive herself from separating the lovebirds.

Suzuka shot a long look at Gene. Her eyes told him everything he needed to hear. _She needs you more than anyone, Gene. Be there for her, and make this worth it._ Her hands gripped the hilt of her sword tightly as she stared.

"…No."

Now, all eyes were on Gene. He shook his head. "I'm not leaving, Mel. I'm sorry."

"…Gene," Melfina softly whimpered.

"If I leave, the Rev is just going to find me again. I'm never going to be safe, and I won't be able to protect any of you. The only way anyone is going to beat that son of a bitch is head-on," he gritted.

"…Damn you, Gene," Suzuka growled. "You and your foolish pride!"

"This is more than pride, Suzuka!" Gene shot back. "I'm not turning my back on any of you, either. Together, one of us has to be able to bring down the Rev. It's the only way any of us are going to be able to breathe after this. Maybe none of us will go down, or maybe just one or two, but as long as that necrotic scarecrow is calling the shots, we're no safer here than anywhere in the galaxy."

Gene sat back on the couch and grimaced. "He wants a fight, I'll give him one! Hold a gun to my friends' heads, will he? The stones on that bastard…"

As Melfina began stoking Gene's shoulders, and while Aisha and Suzuka reluctantly continued their exercises, no one noticed the slight uptick on the side of Harry's mouth.

* * *

The Rev was at his workbench, tinkering and cleaning his tri-shot hand-cannon as Rukko explained his proposal. This was unusual, to put it lightly, as Rukko usually only came into his chamber to update him on statuses and new arrivals. Now, he wanted an additional clause to the upcoming fight.

"…You want me to give up one of my candidates so you can pretend she is your girlfriend?" the Rev said as he disassembled the loading chamber from the frame, not even looking up.

"I feel like something's there, sir. Let me give it a shot! First fight after the preliminaries! If I win, she's mine. If she does, she joins the lineup again!"

The Rev finally glanced up at his lieutenant. "You think you're suave enough to win over her affection after I try to cut down her crew?"

"It's just one fighter out of three or four," Rukko begged. "And you said that Phil guy was sending his own team over to double the chances. Come on, Solomon. When do I ever ask for anything?"

Solomon scratched his temple with the barrel of the tri-shot. The primary reason this ship hadn't been dealing with the constant drama of insurrections and petty turf wars was that Rukko, along with Tex and Dex, could be trusted to keep order. Not a small feat when good portions of the crew were either criminals or anarchists. Solomon figured that Rukko's proposition wasn't entirely unreasonable.

"…Have you even spoken to this cat?" Solomon asked.

"Not yet," Rukko shook his head. "But we did something even better. We fought."

"And tore half a deck apart, I noticed," Solomon sniffed.

"You should know this as well as anyone. Combat is the ultimate form of honesty. I see everything she has to say. She's desperate, constantly fighting like she has something to prove. She's disciplined, well-trained despite poor habits causing her to forget it. And she empathizes with me."

Solomon raised his invisible eyebrow. "Come again?"

"When we fought, she didn't immediately try to kill me. Clearly, she knows we find ourselves in similar positions. So, she understands that we see our worlds in a similar light! It's like we were made for one another!"

The Rev blinked. "…Give me a break. Physical combat is just how your folk enter a courtship, isn't it?"

"No!" Rukko shook his head.

The Rev stared at him.

"…Yes," Rukko admitted. What the Ursan-Ursan usually considered to count as dating on their homeworld was something most other species and people would count as kidnapping and assault. Male or female, when finding a desirable partner, the proactive suitor would take the intended recipient of their affection. According to Ursan-Ursan popular wisdom, the closer the fight, the stronger the union. And Rukko and Aisha had put up a very close fight.

"…I must say I almost envy you," Solomon admitted. "To enjoy the trials and tribulations of romance. Be warned, you'll miss being single," he chuckled.

"I miss my people," Rukko stated, staring up at the pelts hanging by the ceiling. To most, it was a grisly and fatalistic trophy only a psychopath would take pleasure in. For Rukko, who introduced the practice to the Rev himself, it was a way of honoring the worthy fallen. Nights on Arctis were cold, and the warmest pelts often came from the worthiest warriors. The human space forces didn't quite appreciate that custom. Just as well, as worthy Terran pelts were few and far between.

"Perhaps if this doesn't work out, I'll eventually have to kill you in front of your eventual litter," the Rev joked. "That way, your progeny will be extra motivated to break this curse."

"Very funny," Rukko rolled his eyes, unconcerned.

"…For you, maybe," the Rev muttered. "…I barely remember them, anymore. Their names I do, but their faces, who they were, it all blends together."

"Your old gang?" Rukko asked.

"…Everyone," the Rev admitted. "My family, my siblings, why I picked up a gun and fought with Callaway, they seem like dreams from years ago. I have to put forth a lot of effort to hold on, and every year more and more slips away."

The Rev turned over to Rukko. "Don't make my mistake, Rukko. If this somehow works out for you, never let it go. Even if it means turning your back on me."

* * *

"What a fascinatingly barbarous collection of reprobates," the Silgrian manservant proclaimed as they passed by a small gathering of thugs, their suspicious gazes eying the trio wearily. The Saurian bodyguard snarled at them as they passed, his girth adding to his deep-bass bellow. Their employer continued his absentminded stroll with little regard for the other crewmembers aboard the ship, which seemingly universally were staggered that the Rev would allow some dandy they'd never seen before free rein of the ship. The only order regarding the newcomers was that they weren't to be attacked as long as they kept to themselves, under penalty of the Rev himself.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Howard stopped, as a hostile-looking woman was about to stroll past, an assault rifle slung over her shoulder.

"The hell you want?" she spat, literally as Chauncey's feet,

"I was wondering where you were keeping any… briefly interned individuals aboard this craft?" Mr. Howard asked.

"Huh?" the woman replied.

"Perhaps near the center of the ship, or perhaps near Solomon's quarters to prevent any incidents?" the elderly bird asked.

"What are you three trying to say?" she muttered, reaching for her knife.

"Where're the prisoners?" Johnny Anslou, agitated and impatient, cut to the chase.

"Finally, one of you speaks basic! Three levels down, hang to the first right you get to. Try to talk to em and we'll skin you alive."

"Thank you, miss, you've been very helpful," Mr. Howard smiled as she continued her rounds. "Mr. Chauncey, what do you think of the current stock aboard this ship?"

"A tethering ritual would be most advisable. We'll need quite a bit of… human resources to establish the breach, but I've done more with less," the avian alien tittered.

"How much we talkin'" Johnny asked, eyes narrowed.

"…Thirty should be enough to get started," Chauncey answered, conspiratorially.

Johnny grinned; prep work was his favorite work. He knew nothing about magic, but plenty about setting the table. Mr. Howard turned to Johnny. "…By the way, Johnny, did you forget to activate the cloaking beacon on my ship?"

"…Possibly," Johnny answered.

"…How long ago?" Mr. Howard asked, his voice steeled.

"…Three hours, give or take," Johnny admitted.

A grin crept across Mr. Howard's face. "Excellent work, Johnny. That should provide all the cover we need."

"I aim to serve," Johnny grinned.

Eventually, they stopped outside a shipping container. Around the corner, the three could make out the sounds of an argument near the entrance. "Sounds like an awkward time to introduce yourself," Johnny shrugged.

Mr. Howard raised his cane. "I just want to take a peek." The runes and markings began to illuminate. Mr. Howard's pallid complexion became increasingly paler, muscles growing limp even as the body raised the cane to tap the side of the container. The passenger began to leave its vessel.

* * *

"YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!" Gene screamed as the jailer explained the situation.

"Special request from Rukko Gresha-Gresha himself. He would like a personal preliminary fight between himself and your Ctarl-Ctarl companion," the jailer reiterated.

"What makes him think we could possibly ever accept this?" Suzuka added, her voice colder than usual.

"An appeal to her survival," the jailer offered, relaying the information as he was told. "Perhaps an alternative to certain death? Whatever, it's not my concern. I just figured you people deserved to know what's going on."

"Gee, thanks for the help. NOW GET OUT!" Gene screamed as he slammed the door to his own communal prison cell. "The nerve of these people. First they hijack up and drag us on board, then they terrorize our most harmless member of the crew, then they want us to kill their boss, and now it's our problem that his number two is HORNY?!" Gene exasperatedly shouted as he leaned against the wall. "Why do we always have to deal with the asshats? I thought outlaws were supposed to be live and let live! I'd rather be dealing with the military, that's how bad it's getting."

Suzuka concurred. "Most likely, it's another attempt to divide us and conquer at their whims."

"First Melfina, then Aisha. You'd think at some point they'd just do us a favor and take Harry," Gene muttered.

"I heard that," Harry exclaimed, exiting his depowered mode.

"Good. So, I think now's the time we should start strategizing," Gene said as he gathered the crew around the now-empty couch. "Having Jim here would make this a bit easier, but we aren't exactly in a choice position, are we?"

Melfina, having started trying to rest on a cot, noticed that Aisha didn't go to join the others for the pow-wow. Instead, in contrast to her usual manner, Aisha seemed deeply reserved in thought. Melfina swung her legs off the cot to join her friend and try to comfort her. "Don't worry, Aisha," she began. "It'll be OK. We won't let him touch you."

Aisha broke from her concentrated state to give Melfina a look. Melfina could make out the general gist of what Aisha was trying to tell her. _You're telling me that? It's my job to look after the younger and weaker members of the crew. Which in this instance, is you._

"I know," Melfina admitted. "And you were very brave trying to save me after Solomon took me. But it was reckless. You could have gotten killed."

Aisha puffed out her chest. _It will take more than that to bring down an elite warrior of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire! I would never dishonor my ancestors by falling to a gang of measly Terran criminals, no matter their numbers. In fact, for a proud officer of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire, there can be no greater…_

Even Melfina had grown weary of Aisha's silent rant. "I know, I know," he answered, trying to sound supportive. "But that Ctarl guy, Rukko, I think, he looks dangerous."

Aisha snorted. _Yeah, to you._

"I mean," Melfina started. "You must have made some kind of impression on him. I don't know much about Ctarl-Ctarl culture."

Aisha looked at her as her eye began to twitch. _ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I've bestowed upon all of you the virtues and distinctions of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire for hours on end! Are you saying you weren't listening?!_

"N-no, of course, I didn't mean it like that," Melfina tried to placate. "It's just… you probably know more about how to deal with him than any of us."

Aisha pulled Melfina in close to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. She let out a small grin. _I know. I'm counting on it._

"…Aisha, what are you planning?" Melfina asked.

Aisha released her grip on Mel as she strolled to the door; slamming on it so hard the war meeting by the couch was interrupted before Gene could insult Harry's parentage again.

The jailer opened the door once more. "You aren't scheduled for another hour, so why don't you just…"

Aisha looked back to the rest of her crew, looked to Melfina one last time, and let out a reassuring smile before finally turning to the guard and giving a thumb's up. _I'm in. Take me to Rukko._

* * *

_The visitor watched as the feline woman was taken from the cell. The gunman and the swordswoman, their auras heated with passion, tried to reach her before the door shut, but were unable to do so. As the gunman let out a howl and the swordswoman tried to console him (animals such as they are, he made note of the simmering bond between the two, suggesting a high probability to the likelihood of copulation between the two) he noticed the two machines were left to their own dramatics. The frame cautiously approached the other as she sat on the cot, face buried in her hands as he whispered something to her. For a moment, the other sobbing stopped. A complicated and fractured bond between the two drew his attention. Despite himself, the drama between the machines drew his curiosity. He moved closer, knowing that on this plane, his intrusion would go unnoticed._

"…can save him. You know I can fly the ship and I know I can take them in a fight. Trust me, Melfina," Harry whispered.

Melfina looked at him. Harry wore many masks, that much she knew. Some were kind, others cruel, but he always had one for what he needed at the moment. The question to her, however, was whether he had what _she _needed. Gene wouldn't run, neither would Suzuka, and Aisha had, once again, charged in with reckless abandon. She loved all her friends, but some part of her couldn't help but remember that none of what was happening now would help Jim. _Maybe Harry is right, _Melfina thought to herself.

"…Can I have a moment to think about it?" she asked.

"Take all the time you need," Harry nodded.

"Thank you," Melfina smiled, slightly. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was serious about changing, setting a better example then the last few times they had met. Maybe he was Jim's last, best hope. Melfina had a lot on her mind, and not a lot of time to process it. Unfortunately for her, the great shape emitting from the wall would assault her psyche by virtue of existing.

It had thought itself clever, hiding on a frequency of existence just beyond that of all but the most attuned of sentient life. It should have realized that Melfina was as much a relic of the past as much as it had been, and unbeknownst even to herself, shared knowledge with that of the intruder.

Out of the corner of her eye, just beyond where her mind could focus, she saw an extended body. The top was covered in matted filaments, reaching out to collect whatever it was the beast needed to derive its sustenance. Below, curled up like a rib cage, were innumerable limbs. It all reached up to an inhuman face, with mandibles clattering as its single red eye focused its energies on her. Never in her most fearful daydreams had she ever conceived of such a horrible creature, but something deep within her heart told her something more disturbing still. _You know that thing._

"Montauk," Melfina said aloud, gaining the attention of all within the container. "Montauk the Fallen. I know what you are."

The beast immediately receded back into the wall.

"Melfina," Suzuka was the first to say. "What are you talking about?"

Melfina blinked, coming back to the ground as she realized that she didn't remember anything about the last few moments. Had she blacked out?

"I'm… sorry," Melfina shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"What's Montauk the Fallen?" Gene asked.

"I… don't know," Melfina answered truthfully as the words filled a pit of dread within her.

Mr. Howard snapped back to life, gasping for air. He picked up his cane and turned to his companions. "…We have a complication," he admitted.

Chauncey and Anslou both turned to one another. Mr. Howard was typically unflappable, going as far as to take being a galactic fugitive in stride. If he was now admitting a problem, it had the potential to be catastrophic.

"The doll had the wherewithal to spot me, and she might know enough about me to cause problems down the line," Mr. Howard said as he gripped his cane.

"…Shall I?" Johnny asked as he eagerly rose his arquebus.

"And agitate Solomon?" Mr. Howard snapped. "Besides, I still need that navigation chip in that body. We wait until it is safely extracted. Then…" he paused.

"…Then I offer a bonus."


	18. Calculated

_We know that at some point, thousands of years ago, an ancient civilization was able to develop FTL travel and created an empire that expanded the stars. We know of their monuments, their writings, and have even gleaned evidence of early encounters with fledgling civilizations coming into their own. The scientific community doesn't know much more than that. Answers to what should be simple questions like who they were and what happened to them elude us to this very day. Theories abound, as is typical, and they tend to range from the mysterious race ascending to another state of existence to being wiped out by an equally mysterious and unknowable force. Thanks to carbon-dating, however, we've been able to chronologically place some of the most recent evidence of this long-begotten race. An oft-repeated image happens to invoke four moons, followed by the vanishing of any further evidence of civilization from the planet in question._

Chapter 18: Calculated

"Hey, Mick, you're back early," the voice announced over the speaker. Mick licked his parched lips as he gingerly took the receiver. "Got a pretty bad haul from my last outing. No need to pull any guys off duty, we can manage with what we got."

"Huh, right! More like you want to keep the spoils to yourself!" the voice laughed.

Mick nervously laughed. "Sure thing, buddy. All we got was some low-quality dragonite ore, probably from some refinery built on the cheap. I got to get a sample appraised before I decide how much of a wash I'm looking at."

"Sure thing. You are clear to dock, looking forward to seeing you at happy hour. Big show today, Rukko and the Boss are both going to be in action."

Despite himself, Mick was interested. "Rukko's fighting? That's been a while."

"Yeah, well, apparently one of the fish we caught took his fancy, if you get my meaning," the voice chuckled.

"No kidding. Looking forward to it," Mick replied as he killed the line. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the barrel leave the back of his head. "…Good to be home, huh, Cade?"

"Not planning on staying," Cade snorted, dismissively. "Not exactly fond of this place."

"Most of the guys aren't exactly fond of you, kid," Mick shot back. "Killing Silas and bailing didn't exactly endear you to anyone except the Rev. Absalom was the fun leader."

"I've seen his idea of fun. Didn't exactly mesh with mine," Cade responded as he noticed a familiar-looking yacht also docked next to his intended target.

"You know how to have fun?" Mick scoffed, disbelieving.

"I'm more of a quiet evening kind of person," Cade responded as he holstered his gun.

"Praise the stars," Mick exhaled in relief. "I seriously thought you were going to shoot me after I did your spiel."

"Now what kind of monster do you take me for?" Cade asked as he quietly drew his hatchet.

* * *

"How much time to we have left?" Gene asked as Suzuka finished her stances. She peeked up to glance at him. "Around twenty minutes, I believe. Though with whatever Aisha is planning, I couldn't tell you how much time she will buy us."

Gene plopped himself back on the couch, annoyed that all he could do yet was wait for some kind of option he had no idea would look. He wanted to fight his way back to the ship, but even in the unlikely event that they succeeded, the Dredholk would simply destroy the Outlaw Star before they would even be able to disembark.

Suzuka, on her end, was pondering another option, one that would surely infuriate Gene upon her suggestion. An idea that left a foul taste even in her mouth. Suzuka pondered whether or not joining the Rev would be prudent for everyone involved. The Rev's crew was a disparate assembly of individuals, and Suzuka figured the crew wouldn't have too much trouble adapting if they did. Plus, it might give them enough leeway to find Jim in the end. However, she knew how Gene would treat the idea of throwing away his freedom to be "safe." She smiled, sadly, as she sat back down to meditate.

Harry kept tapping his foot in perfect rhythm, constantly glancing over at Melfina as she gripped her face in her hands. There was no way he could bring all four of them out of this predicament alive, he had run those numbers over and over. All he had to do was wait for Melfina's say so, and all she had to do was make the right decision. They could escape together, find his ship and her friend, and start anew from nothing. That was all most people could ever want. So why couldn't Melfina bring herself to realize it?

The Rev walked down the corridor, eyes closed as he braced himself for the penultimate meeting. After this, they'd fight in the ring. To the death. Hopefully for the last time. For all his cruelty, for as much as they hated him, the Rev truly rooted for them all the opportunity and ability to finish him off. Didn't matter to him if it was the gunslinger, the swordswoman, or even the cyborg. Just as long as one of them could do it. Just as long as the girl got her ass off his ship and away from him. Just as long as it would soon all be over.

Melfina felt the piercing burn start behind her right eye. From there, the throbbing pain began to rob her of her other senses. Ever since she had blacked out, this pain had been slowly and steadily beginning to grow. Her eyes watered as her lips trembled. She thought it might just be fear or grief, but some instinct within her told her that wasn't it. There was a lot she didn't know about herself. She was about to learn a little bit more than she would want.

_Sighting of the Fallen detected. Initiating security protocol. Objective: Deny the Fallen access to vital material. Personality override engaged._

Suddenly, Melfina felt herself pulled into a mental realm, one that she always thought was privy only to herself when she was in the navigation chamber. The ethereal waters submerged her body. Looking down, she saw a stark white band shoot from the depths of her mind. It embraced her, constricting her mental avatar. Within its scaly, suffocating grip, Melfina opened her eyes to find herself back in the room with the others. She felt her body pick itself off the bed. She felt herself walk to the doorway. She watched as her fist began beating on the side of the doorway.

The annoyed jailer peeked his head into the doorway. "What now? We just served you guys breakfast an hour ago."

"Has the Rev told you of the bargain he struck with me?" Melfina said, flatly.

"Oh yeah, the Sophie thing, right?" the jailer asked.

"I've made my decision," she replied.

The other three in the room were just staring at her. This complete shift in her demeanor and personality had caught everyone off guard. They could only watch as the girl they'd all been trying to protect suddenly decided to save her own skin.

Melfina turned to look at the other three occupants. She looked towards Gene, and the entity noted and disregarded Melfina's affection and passion for the man. A Caster gun would do no good, and his other weapons and skills were primitive at best. She looked towards Suzuka, and the entity noted and disregarded Melfina's admiration of the warrior. Ki would not suffice against the Fallen, the probability was too significant to ignore. She looked towards Harry, and the entity noted Melfina's confusion and fear of the cyborg. The frame, however, would give the Fallen little to work around. The probability of significant obstruction of the Fallen was too vital to disregard.

"Harry MacDougal shall escort me from the vessel," Melfina announced.

Gene's jaw felt like hitting the floor and puncturing the hull. "…Mel…"

Suzuka immediately rushed to Melfina, trying to talk some sense into her, or perhaps simply to ask what she was trying to do. As she clasped her hands, Suzuka looked into Melfina's dead eyes and realized something was wrong.

Harry celebrated the news with all the poise and dignity he could muster.

"IN YOUR FACE, STARWIND!" Harry shouted as he shoved both of his extended middle fingers into the side of Gene's vision. He immediately barreled over to Melfina, knocking Suzuka to the side as he grabbed Melfina by the waist and hoisted her in the air. "I KNEW YOU COULD BELIEVE IN ME! I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN, I PROMISE!" he shouted in glee!

Melfina's expression hadn't changed as Harry spun her around. The entity ignored Melfina's shrieking and pleading as she managed to wriggle her way from Harry's grasp, turning her immediate attention back to the jailer.

"May I enquire as the whereabouts of the Fallen?" she asked, flatly.

"What's that?" the jailer asked.

The entity hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Have you seen an individual recently with an atypical walking cane?"

"Lady, I'm just going to let you and your loverboy go, as per the Rev's orders himself. If you want to ask about anyone on this hunk of crap, why don't you ask the Rev directly?" he said, jeeringly.

"DID YOU HEAR THAT?!" Harry taunted Gene. "I'M HER LOVERBOY!"

"…Melfina…" Gene let out.

"Harry, let us be off," the entity announced as it ignored Melfina's sobs and apologies.

"Right behind you, beautiful!" Harry replied giddily as she door shut behind him, leaving Gene and Suzuka to balk at the sudden betrayal.

"Well, congrats for choosing, you're free to go," the jailer yawned as he reached for a cigarette.

"Where is the Rev?" Melfina asked.

The jailer snorted. "Huh, right," he giggled as he put the cancer stick in his mouth and reached for his lighter. He suddenly felt two delicate hands grasp his wrist. "Please," the girl said, "it's important to me."

"Well, what's it to you?" the jailer grinned as he looked up and down her body. Harry was prepared to peel his skin off his skull for the look he shot her. Melfina, however, grasped the man's hand around his back and shoved him against the ground. "This body has more than enough strength to permanently damage a joint from this vantage. Where is the Rev?" she asked again, flatly.

"Gah! Probably on his way down right now! He usually comes from the eastern sector!" the jailer got out.

"Adequate," Melfina said as she released him.

Growling, the man reached for his knife. "Now just you wait, you little bit-" was all he got out before Harry kicked him in the head, his skull bouncing from the leg to the wall to the floor.

"Melfina, what are we doing? The XGP is in the western sector of this thing, can't we just…"

"Do you love me, Harry?" Melfina asked.

"…What?" Harry stuttered.

"Yes or no?" Melfina asked again, impatiently.

"…More than anything, angel," Harry smiled.

"And would you do anything for me?" Melfina asked.

Harry nodded, excitedly.

"Then follow me," Melfina said as she turned from him, and Harry loyally tagged along.

* * *

Upon the moment the hauler docked with the Dredholk, a chute from the main ship docked with the cargo hold. Piece by piece, every crate and barrel within was taken into the belly of the carrier. As the crew of the Dredholk waited for the hauler's crew to disembark, the certain cargo crates cracked open once more, and Jim found himself hacking into one of the side entryways as the rest of his "team" hovered over him.

"Taking too long," Cade muttered.

"He just started, give him a little more time," Leilong snapped, annoyed.

"So what's the plan?" Mara asked.

"We have two things to secure. Find the spaceship and the girl," Cade relayed.

Jim gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to blow this operation and get all these bastards killed were it not for the fact that they were his best chance of having his friends escape their incarceration.

"We'll have to split into two teams. Some of us will have to reach the ship, and the others will find the crew. The guys who secure the ship will also be responsible for the getaway, naturally." Cade continued.

"And what about the crew?" Leilong asked.

"We can fly the ship if necessary, but if by some miracle the crew feels like cooperating, don't hesitate to bring any survivors back alive," Mara interjected.

Cade shot her an ugly look only she caught. Cade did not like his leadership challenged. Mara was past really giving a shit. She had watched the sanctimonious one butcher the crew of the previous hauler. All the wanted to do was finish the job, and not hurting the crew would do wonders for the kid's morale. Not that she expected Cade to really care.

"Done," Jim announced as the light above the door turned green.

"Whoa," Eddie laughed. "The kid beat your record by…"

Cade glared at her, and Eddie clamped her mouth shut. Leilong let out a snicker, taking some amount of pleasure watching Mr. Black's wounded ego. Mara immediately rushed forward and grabbed Jim. "Hey, what are-" was all he got out before she slammed him against her body along the edge of the doorway before it opened.

Waiting on the other end were a handful of bored raiders, waiting for the crew to disembark from the other gate. With their backs turned, Eddie and Cade drew their weapons and fired into the unsuspecting sentries, her staccato automatics being punctuated by his revolver.

Leilong was the first to enter the loading bay after the quick massacre. Cade and Eddie also fanned out, watching for any curious onlookers or reinforcements. "Clear," Eddie announced as she holstered one of her pistols.

"So, who is going where?" Leilong asked as Mara and Jim rejoined them.

"I can find the Outlaw Star myself," Jim piped up. "And I think I'll draw less attention to myself than the rest of you, so if you four won't mind…"

"Very cute, kid," Mara interrupted, dryly. "I'm going to need that ship's med bay. I'm coming with you."

"Lady, I don't need some babysitter, especially not you, you…" Jim hesitated to think of a satisfactory insult.

"…Instigator #38," Cade whispered in Jim's ear.

Jim jumped back, startled. "Gah! You big creep!" he shouted as Cade proceeded to the corridor entryway. "I shall escort the civilians to the XGP. I can extract the designated tech myself while we wait for the girl. Eddie, Leilong, locate where the crew is being held and attempt an extraction."

"Us?" Leilong balked. "We've never been on this ship before. How are we…"

Eddie reached into her belt and pulled out an earpiece. "If we get lost, Cade has this ship's layout practically memorized. We'll start with the holding area and work our way from there."

Cade walked over to Eddie. He clasped her shoulders, with Eddie returning the gesture. Then he slammed his forehead into hers, with Eddie digging her heels in as she pushed against his. Cade began to start muttering, and Eddie began to respond in kind.

Jim slowly moved over to Leilong, not taking his eyes off the sight. "…Is this some kind of weird relationship thing?" he whispered.

Leilong shrugged. "I only just signed on with these guys. Don't ask me to make heads or tails of this."

Mara rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's this weird pow-wow thing they do every now and then. They speak nonsense to each other for about a minute and then they do whatever they were going to do in the first place. I'm just waiting for the day when they just get over themselves and screw like normal people."

Cade and Eddie's heads snapped back. Cade turned to Jim and Mara. "On me, follow my instructions to the letter," he said.

Eddie strode up to Leilong. "The holding area is six levels above us. If the matches are soon, the crew between us should be sparse," she stated as she ran down the opposite corridor.

"What was that all about?" Leilong asked as he raced to join her.

"Just a friendly little chat," Eddie replied. In the back of her mind, she was grateful none of them had picked up on the outlaw cant, the "official language" of the Carnival. Their previous conversation had been a verbal agreement between her and Cade. Eddie had chosen the last possible moment to ask Cade not to harm Jim or Mara, knowing that bringing it up right before a mission was the best possible time to spring such a request on Cade, who would not be in any position to argue. Naturally, he relented. Under one condition. She had to ensure that Leilong would not set foot on the XGP alive.

* * *

Solomon stopped for a moment to stretch. Leaning on one leg, he wondered how the preliminary match was going. Rukko was eager, of course he was, but the sudden change of heart within that Ctarl woman was something that did set off his old school suspicions. That girl was angling for something. He wondered if she was planning a honeypot, and then he wondered if she even knew what that was. For all their greatness, espionage wasn't the first thing that came to mind when one thought of the mighty Ctarl-Ctarl Empire. At least not when brute force still seemed like a viable option.

As he started on the other leg, two familiar faces rounded the corner to face him. The blue-haired frame was startled, jumping back as he opened his arms to reveal two blades. The girl, however, just stared at him, unmoving, her expression not changing.

"Thought you'd have left by now," Solomon stated, unconcerned. "Don't tell me you came here to say goodbye?"

"Where is Montauk?" Melfina asked.

"Not here as far as I know," Solomon replied as he started cracking his back.

"You know perfectly well of him," Melfina continued. "Your current condition was likely his gift to you."

The Rev stopped and began eying Melfina suspiciously. "…Last we chatted, you damn near pissed yourself three times by my count. Now what business would you have with that bastard?"

"My own," Melfina stated.

The Rev cast his gaze onto Harry, who struck a defensive stance as he awaited an attack that never came. "You really think THAT will be all it takes?" the Rev chuckled.

As Harry growled, Melfina interrupted. "Your business is yours. Mine is mine. I intend to leave this ship soon enough. I seek no further quarrel with you."

"…Last I heard, he was in the rec-hall with his two flunkies," the Rev surrendered the information, disinterested in the actions of this schizo-chick and her boy toy. As she was about to part, the Rev suddenly shot forward to block her path.

"Now what business, might I ask, do you wish to strike up with our mutual associate?" the Rev asked as he leaned towards Melfina. "He goes back quite the long way, from what I understand. Shared history, is it?"

"This conversation is over," Melfina stated, dryly.

"Ex-lover?" the Rev grinned.

"This does not concern you," Melfina stated as she tried to move around him.

"Oh, come now, a little gossip never killed anyo-" was all he got out before Melfina pulled out her revolver, slammed the barrel under his chin, and pulled the trigger. From inside her prison, Melfina watched as the creature bound to the body grabbed onto a beam of light as it tried to escape, forcing it back into the body as it was stitched together and healed. Her brief flash of pity vanished as she turned to look at a balking Harry. "Y-you just s-s-shot that guy…" he stuttered in disbelief the real Melfina shared with him. "Melfina" cast a glare at him. "Do you still wish to assist me on this matter?"

"Anything," Harry replied, still rattled by the sudden outburst of violence from someone he never expected such actions from.

"Then continue following me," Melfina said as she continued her way down the corridor. Harry briskly followed her, obedient even as he began to realize something was amiss about the woman he thought he loved. As they turned a corner, the Rev's hand slammed against the floor, pulling his body up as his senses slowly returned. "…that… little… bitch," he croaked. "Feigns the weeping damsel and sucker punches me the moment my guard is down?" He allowed a chuckle to escape. "Girl's after Absalom's heart. So much in common."

As he rose to his feet, he felt the top of his skull, the bullet having exited cleanly as it was buried in the panels above. "Pity. I was going to make her eat that," he groused. "Guess the only answer for that kind of insolence it to take it out on the crew she abandoned. Though if I see her again, she has my sincerest promise that it will not be pleasant for either of us."

The creature on his back began to chitter.

"Sick freak," he muttered. "I don't think I'd even be able to if I wanted to."

It continued to chitter.

"And I'm not letting the crew touch her either. The only law here is my law. If you're disappointed, then rejoin your master and leave me be, for once."

* * *

Mr. Howard stared into his glass as Johnny Anslou took more winnings from the table, his previous opponents rubbing their arms as Chauncey counted off the money. To the former venture industrialist/capitalist, it was a paltry amount, but it nonetheless amused Mr. Howard to see the grimacing and beaten grouse over losing their squandered earnings. He leaned back and took a sip as he overheard a commotion nearby.

"What is she doing coming this way?"

"Who, Bev?"

"No, that girl the Rev took earlier."

"She's coming here?!"

"That's what I said, dumbass!"

"Is she stupid or suicidal?"

"Give me a little alone time with her and I'll make her love life again, hehe!"

"Rev said not to touch her, you idiot!"

"Oh, c'mon, what he don't know won't hurt him!"

"And what he does'll kill you."

Mr. Howard listened to the myriad of voices talk about the arriving visitor. Soon enough, they made their way inside. The girl stared him down, and the frame immediately stood in front of her, trying to protect her from the gaggle of leering outlaws mentally undressing her. The girl, however, made eye contact with Mr. Howard. He, in turn, raised his glass.

"After so long, we meet again."

From inside her body, Melfina saw Mr. Howard's true form. She began screaming. Immediately, memories that were not her own flooded her mind. She saw the Fallen, broken and humiliated, as he was sentenced to exile beyond the stars. Eons later, he would return, bringing with him the four beasts of the deep entropic sea. She saw oceans burn, mountains devoured, planets unmade as the last of her kind fought a war they could never win, their powers turned against them as Montauk laughed.

The band dragged her deeper into her subconscious, sparing her from witnessing more of the onslaught against her psyche. Her body turned to Harry. "Harry, I want you to kill that man."

_A/N: After some careful consideration, I've come to the conclusion that what I had originally thought of as a "Hard-T" rated fic is actually a bit closer to a "Soft-M." Therefore, going forward, the rating shall be altered to reflect this. I'm sure both my regular readers will not be thrown off by this recent development._


	19. Outgunned

_For most freelance mercenaries working along the rim of the frontier, cybernetic augmentations are as commonplace as tattoos and sidearms. Limb replacement and the displacement of vital organs are popular operations, but the rarest form, that being full-body cyberization, is something most could not imagine being able to afford. Ron MacDougal is one of those few, implanting the surviving data that is his brother's personality and memories into a freshly-minted, state-of-the-art, and custom-built cyborg frame. This body allows Harry MacDougal access to abilities that heighten his combat efficiency, as well as allow him access into databases and mainframes regarding potential bounties. A perfect weapon for a bounty hunter. And yet, there is little doubt that Harry misses his flesh and blood, for with all the might his new frame has given him, mentally, he regards his current state as less than human. Not that it had previously been much of a problem for him, but in quiet moments, it is likely he dwells on that which he has surrendered. Nonetheless, Harry MacDougal represents the peak of humanity's knowledge of cybernetic engineering, and the bar by which all challenges must be measured._

Chapter 19: Outgunned

Mr. Howard sat impassively as Harry traded looks between him and Melfina. For a brief moment, he managed to scan Mr. Philip L. Howard's profile, viewing a restricted bounty offer that was far beyond any clearance he could access. He glanced back at Melfina, not even trying to hide his confusion. "Melfina, I don't understand…"

"It is irrelevant," Melfina coldly snapped. "That man must be destroyed, Harry. Please. Do it for me."

Harry looked back at Mr. Howard, who was sipping on something he'd gotten from the open bar, the taste of which evidently disagreed with him. He grimaced slightly before deciding to continue trying to endure the beverage.

"…For you, angel, anything," Harry nodded grimly. Knives extended from his wrists. The crowd around them let out a cheer and goaded Harry to instigate. Harry charged forward, blades before him as he immediately focused both of them towards his target's throat. A second before impact, however, he joints froze up. Harry felt an immense amount of pressure suddenly holding his shoulders, elbows, knees, and neck in place. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Silgrian making gestures while muttering to himself. _That bird is a mage?!_ Harry thought to himself. The Saurian yawned as he pulled up his arquebus/halberd from the wall, shoving the barrel under Harry's chin as he looked to his employer for confirmation.

"No, not yet," Mr. Howard waved his bodyguard away. He turned to look at Melfina. "…Am I speaking to the Maiden or her guardian?"

"Neither," Melfina shook her head. "This one's safety is not my priority."

"Oh?" Mr. Howard cocked an eyebrow. "So… if you aren't either, then you must be… a failsafe," he chuckled as he pointed at her.

"This one was tasked with keeping our legacy away from the Fallen," Melfina said as Harry tried desperately to break free of the psychic bonds.

"And you've done a fantastic job," Mr. Howard grinned. "Unfortunately for you, your masters are no longer around to tell you how futile your endeavor is about to become. Why not just surrender and let this become easy for everyone involved?" he asked, rhetorically.

Melfina pulled out her revolver, pointing it towards Howard as his assistants braced themselves to intervene. Mr. Howard sat bemused by the action, silently goading her to attempt. Melfina then placed the barrel up to her right cheek, and Mr. Howard's smile vanished.

"You think that will be what it takes to stop me?" Mr. Howard asked.

"Denying the Fallen is my only priority," Melfina announced.

"…And what of your champion?" Mr. Howard asked as he looked at the struggling cyborg.

"My preferred alternative," Melfina said.

Mr. Howard raised his eyebrow. "…Mr. Chauncey, release this one."

The Silgrian dropped his hands to his side as Harry regained his mobility. Mr. Howard rose from his seat and stared down the cyborg. "…A full-body cyborg. No ether dependency, so a sensible, if not exactly inspired choice," he muttered to himself.

"CAN ONE OF YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Harry screamed at both of the players while they continued their game. "Boy," Mr. Howard finally announced. "I challenge you to a duel. Win, and you will have restored the honor of the maiden yonder. Lose, and I destroy civilization as you know it. Deal?"

"…What?" Harry asked, flatly.

Mr. Howard groaned. "This is a discussion that I have neither the time nor inclination to have with the Maiden's patsy." He held his fists in front of him, pantomiming an old-time boxer in a less than sincere manner. "Hit me with your best shot, lackey."

Harry, frustrated and angered by Mr. Howard's lackadaisical attitude, unceremoniously buried one knife through the man's neck while the other pierced his skull. A look of shock and horror was etched into Mr. Howard's dying face as his body went limp.

"Idiot," Harry growled. "Melfina, can you please tell me what this is all abou-" He turned to see Melfina round the corner, leaving the rec room and the fracas behind.

"Mel, what do you think you're doing?!" Harry called out.

"Well, lackey, it looks like she abandoned you," Mr. Howard said. Harry turned back in disbelief, just in time for Mr. Howard's cane to crack Harry in the jaw, the force of the blow disengaging Harry from Mr. Howard as his body rocketed to the ceiling, then back down to the floor with an impactful drop.

Mr. Howard cracked his neck as his wounds sealed over. As Harry picked himself from the ground, the crowd of bandits and marauders surrounding the melee started to mutter in confusion and disbelief.

"…What are you?" Harry asked in disbelief as his eyes went to work scanning the body of the dandy nerd who laid him out.

"And at last, you finally ask an interesting question," Mr. Howard crowed. "I am a survivor and a victim, not unlike yourself. I only want that which is rightfully mine."

Harry's eyes widened in horror at the reading he received, or rather the lack thereof. No heartbeat, no pulse, no brain activity he could monitor. For all intents and purposes, he was looking at an animated corpse.

"So, what, you're just another Rev?" Harry asked.

Mr. Howard burst out laughing, the Silgrian beginning to titter while the Saurian slapped his knee and shook his head. As Harry watched the scene before him, he felt his audio receptors begin to distort. He wondered whether or not it was a malfunction from the previous blast, but as he looked around to the audience of marauders, he saw similar expressions of pain and discomfort as they clutched their ears.

"You dear deluded boy," Mr. Howard grinned. "I'm the reason there even is a Rev in the first place."

* * *

"Jim. It is good to see you. I never expected to see you again so soon." Gilliam announced as the three filed into the Outlaw Star. Jim's relief at making it back to his old ship was tempered by the notion that A. he had to allow two of his least favorite people in the galaxy on with him, and B. he had no idea where the rest of his crew was and if they were OK.

The journey to where the Outlaw Star had been docked had been a surprisingly uneventful one. Cade, true to his word, knew the layout of the super-massive freighter and was able to navigate around the scant patrols with ease.

"I've never been so happy to see you, Gilliam. You didn't let anyone on board, did you?" Jim asked as Cade pulled out a tablet.

"No one has entered this vessel since the crew last departed," Gilliam announced. "And I'm pleased to say no one has even attempted to breach the interior since I was forced to dock."

"And the others?" Jim asked, hopefully.

"I'm afraid I haven't been able to establish contact with the rest of the crew since they last departed," Gilliam announced.

Jim rested his forehead against the wall. Of all the people they had to send to locate the rest of the crew, it had to be the one person none of them ever wanted to deal with again, and the other was Eddie. It was not going to be a pleasant encounter, and a part of Jim wanted to go with the two to smooth over tensions and help make a mutual understanding. Still, another part of him hoped that if a conflict did break out, his friends would overcome the two, make their way back here, and deal with Cade and Mara.

"Computer," Mara said as she looked up and down the corridor. "Lead me to the medical bay."

"Excuse me, Jim, could you tell me who these new individuals are?" Gilliam asked.

"Don't worry too much about them," Jim said. "They won't be staying for too long."

"Gilliam, is it?" Cade said. "I'm going to need access to the bridge."

"And may I enquire as to why you would request permission, sir?" Gilliam asked.

"Maintenance," Cade replied, flatly.

"Just… give him what he wants," Jim relented. "But if he damages anything, Gilliam, let me know immediately!"

"I'm… unsure if this is the wisest course of action, Jim, but I will defer to you on the matter. I typically acclimate to your judgment sooner than I do to the captain."

"Thank you, Gilliam," Jim sighed.

"Computer!" Mara called out. "Medical Bay!"

"Follow me," Jim exasperatedly relented. In his mind, he had already done a tremendous and undeserved favor to these two for even allowing them to enter the ship with him, but as desperation was the current state of his universe, he had to concede more and more undue mercies to these guys. Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't exact some minor and petty retribution now and then.

"Gilliam, please upload my guest's status as a crewmember," Jim announced.

"Jim, that… that won't be necessary," Mara balked. "I'm not planning on staying for too long anyway, and…"

"Gilliam, can you please identify our new crewmember as Doctor Bitch from this point forward?" Jim asked, innocently.

"WHAT?!" Mara exclaimed.

"Very well, if that is what you wish," Gilliam announced, blind to the sarcasm.

"NO! Computer, my name is Doctor Morgan! This little- this young man is just making a joke, that is all," Mara tried to calm herself.

"Gilliam, as the senior crewmember, I would appreciate my order to be followed to the letter," Jim continued.

"So be it. Doctor Bitch, the medical bay is located immediately to your right," Gilliam dryly announced.

Mara dourly glared at the preteen, who innocently looked away while trying to whistle. "…I hope this makes you happy, kid, I really do," Mara muttered as she opened the door.

"I'm not the one who's eagerly waiting to carve up someone they never met," Jim shot back.

"I'm not looking forward to this, kid," Mara gritted. "I don't "get" to do this. I HAVE to."

"Yeah, yeah, for the money, whatever," Jim sniffed.

"No, as my punishment," Mara sighed as she slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Gene sat on the sofa, staring down into his hands as he tried to think of what to do. In a handful of days, he lost over half his crew. One kidnapped, one going rogue, and the last one…

Suzuka was beside him, trying to find the words to console him. Melfina was always more gifted in these manners, and the typically reserved Suzuka wasn't often one for heart-to-hearts. Still, if the captain was stressed, she found herself stressed, poker face aside.

"…Did I do something wrong?" Gene asked aloud.

"Gene, there was nothing you could have done," Suzuka answered.

Gene came to himself, coming back down to proverbial earth. "Oh, what?"

"You couldn't have foreseen any of this," Suzuka explained.

"Right…" Gene said to himself. "Right."

Suzuka realized Gene had been talking to himself. Counseling seemed futile at this juncture. So what did that leave her? Meditation? Religion? Sex? She wished she had brought her tea set along with her sword, but at the moment beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Why did she leave…" Gene muttered.

"Because Aisha has always been full of herself and her pride will get her in trouble more often than not," Suzuka explained.

"…Not who I meant," Gene sniffed, though he appreciated the attempt at levity.

"That, Gene, is something far beyond my understanding. Melfina is an open book that we still don't know so much about. I doubt even she understood what came over her," Suzuka consoled.

"I hope she's safe with that creep," Gene growled.

"Melfina is stronger than we often give her credit for, Gene. Worry will do you no favors," Suzuka tried to confide.

"And sitting here isn't doing Jim any either!" Gene snapped.

"That's why we need to take the first opportunity to get out of here the moment it presents itself, even if it means going through the Rev," Suzuka stated.

The door swung open immediately, and the man himself immediately stormed into the cell. "Music to my ears!" he sang as he pulled out his gun. "Your feline friend is taking forever to get her match ready, but Rukko doesn't play with his food for long, so you two will be up next! So, which one will be going first?"

Gene and Suzuka immediately readied their weapons. The Rev readied his own weapon. "Ah, one at a time! That's the only way this is going to work! Don't make me get some of my boys down here to hold one down to make it fair!"

"So we aren't just imprisoned here, you bastard, you'll also strand us?" Gene growled as he readied his caster.

"You know, it's the weirdest thing. Your ship hasn't left its dock, even though your woman has been permitted to leave," the Rev explained.

"Mel's still here?" Gene breathed, in simultaneous relief and exasperation.

"Yeah, she actually swung by to say goodbye to me first, y'know," the Rev explained as he started thrusting his hips. "Because she's never done it with a corpse before."

"Piece of shit!" Gene hissed, finger tightening on the trigger.

"Where was she going?" Suzuka asked, refusing to let the obvious attempt to get a rise out of them work.

"To see a guest. Ever heard the name Mr. Philip L. Howard? Didn't think so, but your girl was dead set on a meeting. Blew my brains out to get to him."

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Gene snarled.

"She shot you?" Suzuka asked, incredulously.

"Right under the chin," The Rev lifted his chin, the wound still relatively fresh despite his atrophied skin and muscle. "Who would have thought that trembling little thing had the stones to sucker me of all people?"

Gene started to blush. Suzuka looked over to him. _Clearly, _she thought, _Starwind's mind spends too much time in the gutter._

"Of course, if I see her again after that little stunt. I'll have to punish her," the Rev grinned, and Gene's hostility was renewed.

"…Why are you doing this?" Suzuka asked.

The Rev shot her a glance. "Because when you're trying to find someone to kill you fair and square, asking nicely isn't as effective as you'd hope."

"So why not just throw yourself into the space forces or pirate turf? I'm sure you'd make lots of friends there." Gene spat, sarcastically.

"Now, you see, I did try that, but when I fight either of them on their terms, they tend to be lousy sports and use overwhelming force to try and stop you. They either bombard you from orbit or try and destroy whatever section of the fort they think you're on, and despite their best efforts, I keep coming back like a bad case of hemorrhoids. They don't have what it takes to understand what I'm looking for, and what it takes to make me go away forever."

"What, so it's our fault you're too hard to kill?" Gene snarled.

"On the contrary, I'm too damn easy, like your woman!" The Rev heckled.

Gene wanted to blow this guy away and destroy this whole ship as his own sped off into the stars. The Rev gleefully readied his own gun and felt the relief of his warden release itself from his back. Suzuka, however, saw an opportunity to stall the fight and wring some more intel out of the Rev. He'd already let slip that Melfina was still on the ship and that the Outlaw Star hadn't departed, both pieces of information would be invaluable for their escape. She had to fish a little bit more.

"How many times have you been killed?" Suzuka asked.

The Rev shot her another glance. "…I don't know. Somewhere in the low hundreds."

"That often?" Suzuka raised her brow. "…I thought you'd be a better fighter."

Now the Rev had whirled his attention to her. "Now listen here, you little shit! I fought at the Battle of the Black Ether Sea, I personally killed Thatch, I was the best gunslinger the Carnival had ever seen!"

"So what made you like this? What caused you to throw your pride away and turn into a cockroach of a serial killer?" Suzuka goaded.

"Because three weeks after the battle, I almost died," the Rev admitted. "It was a poker game, the pot was twenty wong, and a drunken mechanic with a knife stuck me in the ribs and I almost bled out. Can you believe that?! ME?! I break the back of Admiral Thatch's battlefleet, fight my way through the most vicious killers in the Ban Guild, and that is how I damn near get offed?! Where is the justice in that, the honor?!"

"So I decided I was going to do whatever it took to die on my terms," the Rev hissed. "You can thank that thing calling itself Mr. Howard for what you see before you. I will only ever die on my terms, and those terms are a fair fight against a worthy opponent of my choosing. I would have loved for it to have been someone like Hazanko, but, well, whose fault is that?" the Rev asked.

"That's it?" Gene asked. "That's what this is all about? You got scared of dying like a punk so you've been dumping that problem on everyone else? That's what this is all about? And you expect me to care?!"

"NO!" The Rev growled. "I don't need you to care! I don't need your sympathy, your understanding, your pity! I just want to die in a manner befitting of a man who made a terrible decision and had to get exactly what he wanted! So if your useless girl won't take me to the damn Leyline to get this fixed, then either come with me to the ring or fight me here and now!"

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" Gene screamed as his caster activated.

* * *

Leilong crept through the hallways, narrowly avoiding patrols as Eddie followed close behind, muttering that odd language into a small microphone on her collar lapel. Every now and then, she'd motion to take an unexpected turn, but thus far her navigation had been impeccable.

"You know where they are?" Leilong asked as another small patrol passed through an intersection.

"Cade says holding is just one level below us," Eddie replied. "Crew so far has been a bit sparse, so everyone must be getting ready to watch the games. Lion's share of the crew should probably be filling into their seats by now."

"And how long do these games last?" Leilong asked.

"They vary, but if they get to the arena, the crew is pretty much as good as dead," Eddie responded.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Leilong asked.

"I don't," Eddie sniffed.

"The more numbers we have on our side, the more likely we can make our escape," Leilong tried to reiterate.

"The only numbers I need are me and Cade. The two of us can handle anything this ship can throw at us, short of the Rev himself."

"You know how to make a man feel welcome," Leilong rolled his eyes.

"Actually, you're doing exactly what we need you to do," Eddie said as she pulled out one of her automatics.

"Hmph, so, was this your idea, or just Cade's?" Leilong asked, unsurprised.

"Cade wants you gone, and I don't want to see him hurt Jim or Mara. It sucks, but it's not that hard a decision for me," Eddie explained.

"So, I hope you don't expect me to make this easy for you?" Leilong asked rhetorically as he slowly fished out his revolver.

"I would be disappointed if you did," Eddie admitted.

An instant later, both of them opened fire on one another. Their fast movement allowed them to evade their shots, even in the narrow confines of the corridor. Leilong swore to himself as he heard the screams of some of the sentries being alerted to the battle. Eddie, on the other hand, had swung by a power box attached to the walls. Pulling out her stun baton, she dug the weapon into the console, shutting down the lights, leaving only the blasts of their firearms to illuminate through the dark.

* * *

The Rev immediately turned his head to the sudden noise. Gene fired. His gun glowed with a surge of ancient energies as it came to life… only for it to sputter out and die as the dud round failed to muster up enough nascent ether to power its shell. As Gene looked on in horror, the Rev was muttering to himself. "Now what kind of idiot has a gunfight in these corridors? Don't they know how little this ship is holding itself together," he muttered himself, his hypocrisy ignored as he shot out of the cell and down towards the noise. Behind him, Gene fell to his knees as he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Did he leave?" their guard peeked his head into the cell. "Cuz if he did, I'm just going to take you two down to the-" was as far as he got when a blast of air shot the door nearly off its hinges and slammed his body against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Gene felt a hand grab him by the collar, Suzuka pulling him up to face him. "Gene, you need to find Melfina and get to the ship. I'm going to get Aisha!"

"What, Suzuka, what is going on…" Gene said, his near-death experience still rattling him.

"This is our chance!" Suzuka shouted. "The Rev's distracted and most of his crew is occupied, we won't get a better opportunity than this, but we have to move now!"

* * *

Leilong stumbled in the dark as he listened for the slightest sound. He couldn't tell if Eddie had fled or if she was waiting to finish him off. He had his knife hand resting under his revolver, waiting for the slightest thing to set it off.

The sound of boots stumbling towards him sprung him into action. He leaped forward, driving his knife into the center of the advancing figure. He fired a round following afterward, listening to the gurgle as the figure breathed their last. _I wish it didn't have to come to this, Eddie,_ Leilong thought, _but you didn't give me much of a choice._

Not a few moments later than did the dim emergency lights activate, their orange tinge illuminating the formerly dark hallway. Now, Leilong could realize that the figure he had killed was a sentry who was looking to see what the cause for the noise had been all about. It also cued him in on the large shadow looming over him.

Swinging his knife around, the blade was intercepted by a two-foot-long hand-cannon, and Leilong found himself staring down a living scarecrow. Its lips began to recede, revealing two rows of broken teeth as its glowing green eyes locked with its prey. "Oh, you and I are going to get along just great!" Solomon grinned.

* * *

Harry felt his body slam back into the ceiling as Mr. Howard caught him once more with the hook of his cane and careened his body onto the twice-broken bar. By now, the cheers of the audience had become silent awe as Harry had been effectively dismantled by Mr. Howard. Even Hazanko had a certain element of sportsmanship, from what little he had remembered from that fight. Mr. Howard, by contrast, treated the "fight" like a chore, his fighting style some parodic cross between that of a matador and a child stick-fighting.

This was impossible. There was no way someone like Mr. Howard could be as strong as he was. Harry couldn't even process what was happening as he narrowly avoided another potentially damaging blow from Mr. Howard's cane as he rolled away. In the back of Harry's artificial brain, he had begun to realize what Mr. Howard's movements reminded him of.

As part of a joke, Ron had once bought him a wooden puppet, telling him that Geppetto had owed him a lot of money and he had to offer up his son as collateral. He could infer two things from that. The first was that Ron had a terrible sense of humor, and the other was that Mr. Howard was moving like a marionette. With that in mind, Harry was left to wonder who or what was controlling Mr. Howard's strings.

With barely enough time, he was able to react quick enough to block Mr. Howard's cane from striking him in the heart, but by now Mr. Howard had mounted Harry and began pressing down with his formidable and inexplicable strength the sharp end of his cane towards Harry's "heart."

Harry tried to fight back, pushing back with the very limits of his body as Mr. Howard allowed a lopsided grin to etch onto his face. "Well," Mr. Howard said, casually, "it appears you're starting to figure out what you're dealing with. I ask you, though, are you prepared for the whole truth?"

"What are you talking about?!" was all Harry was able to grit.

"Well, your eyes are not your own, so this will be a very interesting experiment," Mr. Howard grinned as he took one hand off his cane and began pulling down his sunglasses.

ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE! VISUAL RECEPTORS OFFLINE! ENGAGING EMERGENCY SYSTEMS!

The messages flashed through Harry's vision. Whatever Mr. Howard had shown had essentially "broken his eyes." Unable to process the visual, Harry's senses had entered an emergency state. He was blind now, and deaf, the two senses his new body depended on. He could, however, feel his body being released from Mr. Howard's vice grip. He wasn't going to let him get away with this.

He attacked with everything he had. He swung wildly, blades at the ready. He felt the impact of skin and flesh as it tore under his onslaught. He felt the satisfaction of finally, for once, overcoming something by himself, without the help of his brother. As much as he didn't understand what was going on around him, he was finally in a position to take control of his fate, and by killing that babbling idiot Mr. Howard earned the gratuity of Melfina. Now if only she would tell him what the hell was going on?

_Backup visual and audio systems engaged. Rebooting of mainline sensory apparatuses imminent._

As he came back to his own "senses" he was able to see the body of one of the marauder spectators skewered by his combat blades. Looking around, he saw that, in his blind rage, he had butchered his audience. There was no sign of feathers, or scales, or even the faintest trace of a cane. Harry was alone, in the middle of a hostile enemy vessel, covered in the blood of members of its crew, and he had now just realized he had no allies whatsoever.

"What am I going to do?" Harry muttered to himself as his machine mind failed to withhold his panic. "What am I going to do?"


End file.
